Ahaetulla Longirostris| New Snake Species| UPSC Current Affairs

Description

AHAETULLA LONGIROSTRIS

Source: IndiaToday

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Context

A new snake species, Ahaetulla Longirostris, has been discovered in India.

About Ahaetulla longirostris

Common Name: Long-snouted vine snake
Genus: Ahaetulla
Family: Colubridae

Features

Remarkably long snout, which is about 18% of the length of its head, distinguishing it from other vine snakes.
Slender, elongated bodywith a triangular head.
Color can vary between bright greenor orange-brown, with a distinct orange belly.
It can grow up to 4 feet.

Found in Biharand Meghalaya.
Found in both forest environmentsand urban landscapes.

About Ahaetulla

Ahaetulla, commonly referred to as Asian vine snakes or Asian whip snakes, is a genus of colubrid snakes.

Geographical Distribution

Genus Ahaetulla is distributed throughout tropical Asia.
The Western Ghatsof India and Sri Lanka are major centers for vine snake diversity.

Behavior

Diurnal and Arboreal (active during the day and primarily live in trees or shrubs).
Mainly feeds on lizards, frogsand small rodents. Some species feed exclusively on fish.
Mildly venomous, equipped with opisthoglyphous (rear-set) fangs.
Ovoviviparous (give birth to live young after incubating eggs inside the female's body).
As a member of the Colubridaefamily, the species does not have a true venom gland like cobras or vipers.
Vine snakes have binocular vision, which is rare among reptiles.

Sources:

IndiaToday

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q:In the context of Asian vine snakes, consider the following statements:

1.They are a nocturnal species widely distributed in Asia.

2.Their fangs are located in the back of the upper jaw like vipers.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: d

Explanation:

1^st statement is incorrect:

It is diurnal, active during the day. This snake has a wide distribution in Asia, where it occurs in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

2^nd statement is incorrect:

They are mildly venomous and are 'rear-fanged' (opisthoglyphous), meaning their enlarged teeth or fangs, intended to aid in venom delivery, are located in the back of the upper jaw, instead of in the front as they are in viper.