Gunther's vine snake
Ahaetulla dispar, the Gunther's vine snake, is a species of tree snake endemic to the Western Ghats. It is primarily restricted to the Shola forests of the Southern Western Ghats where it is found often on high-elevation montane grasslands and the low shrub belts.
Diurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous an...
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starts withSnout pointed and projecting, without dermal appendage, not quite twice as long as the eye. Internasals and prefrontals usually in contact with the labials; one or two small loreals ; frontal as long as its distance from the end of the snout or longer, as long as the parietals; one preocular, in contact with the frontal, with one or two suboculara below; twopostoculars; temporals 2+2 or 2+3; upper labials 8, fifth entering the eye; 4 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are as long as the posterior or a little shorter. Scales in 15 rows, those of the sacral region more or less distinctly keeled. Ventrals 142–151; anal divided; sub-caudals 90-105. Bright green or bronzy olive above, the skin between the scales black; pale green or pale olive beneath, with a yellow line on each side.Total length 26 inches; tail 7.5.
It is endemic to Southern Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu states of South India, from the Anaimalai Hills to the region north of the Shencottah Gap. Precise records are from Munnar, Anaimalai, Grass Hills National Park, Palni hills, Meghamalai, Periyar Tiger Reserve, and Travancore hills. Populations south of the Shencottah Gap, in regions such as the Agasthyamalai Hills, are now considered to belong to a separate species, A. travancorica. It is a high-elevation species, occurring only above 1300 m, all the way up to 2695 m asl.
It is a diurnal, semi arboreal and sometimes terrestrial snake. Males are often green, while females are brown. It mainly feeds on lizards and frogs. It is considered to have a mild venom and is rear-fanged. It is presumed to be ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young ones. Natural history poorly known.
