Ahaetulla sahyadrensis

Ahaetulla sahyadrensis
	In Kerala.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Ahaetulla
Species:	A. sahyadrensis
Binomial name
	Ahaetulla sahyadrensis; Mallik, Srikanthan, Pal, Princia D'Souza, Shanker, and Ganesh, 2020
Synonyms
	Ahaetulla pulverulenta indica, Deraniyagala, 1955;

Ahaetulla sahyadrensis is a species of tree snake endemic to the Western Ghats of India.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Taxonomy[]

It was formerly considered conspecific with A. pulverulenta (now considered to be restricted to Sri Lanka), and was described as a subspecies of it (A. p. indica) by Paulus Edward Pieris Deraniyagala in 1955. However, a 2020 study recovered it as a distinct species. In addition, a now-defunct subspecies of Ahaetulla prasina, A. p. indica, was described by Rudolf Mell in 1931. Thus, the combination Ahaetulla pulverulenta indica would be a homonym to Ahaetulla prasina indica. To solve this, a new replacement name, A. sahyadrensis, was erected in 2020.^[1]

Geographic range[]

This species is the most widespread of all vine snakes endemic to the Western Ghats, ranging from Gujarat south to Kerala and Tamil Nadu.^[1]

Habitat[]

It is found in moist deciduous and evergreen forests from just above sea level up to 1500 msl. They are usually found in the vicinity of perennial streams.^[1]

References[]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Mallik, Ashok Kumar; Srikanthan, Achyuthan N.; Pal, Saunak P.; D’souza, Princia Margaret; Shanker, Kartik; Ganesh, Sumaithangi Rajagopalan (2020-11-06). "Disentangling vines: a study of morphological crypsis and genetic divergence in vine snakes (Squamata: Colubridae: Ahaetulla ) with the description of five new species from Peninsular India". Zootaxa. 4874 (1): 1–62. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4874.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334.
^ Staff Reporter (2020-11-14). "New species of vine snakes discovered". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2020-11-26.
^ "The discovery of five new species of vine snakes in India". phys.org. Retrieved 2020-11-26.

[:0-1] Mallik, Ashok Kumar; Srikanthan, Achyuthan N.; Pal, Saunak P.; D’souza, Princia Margaret; Shanker, Kartik; Ganesh, Sumaithangi Rajagopalan (2020-11-06). "Disentangling vines: a study of morphological crypsis and genetic divergence in vine snakes (Squamata: Colubridae: Ahaetulla ) with the description of five new species from Peninsular India". Zootaxa. 4874 (1): 1–62. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4874.1.1. ISSN 1175-5334.

[:02-2] Staff Reporter (2020-11-14). "New species of vine snakes discovered". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2020-11-26.

[3] "The discovery of five new species of vine snakes in India". phys.org. Retrieved 2020-11-26.

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