Distributed range & status
It’s an endemic species to Sri Lanka. Found in wet intermediate zones & dry low & mid country. Bolgoda, Kalutara, Ratnapura, Galle, Trincomalee, Bulatsinhala, Weyangoda, Hantana, Gampola, Yatiyantota, Sinharaja, Balangoda, Bellanwila, Horana, Koslanda, Vavuniya, Mullativu.
Scales
rostral |
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frontal |
Shorter than lateral scales. Same length as supra ocular. |
supraoculars |
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parietals |
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prefrontals |
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nasals |
Divided scale |
internasals |
2 shorter than prefrontals |
loreals |
2 together there longer than nasal |
preoculars |
1 |
postoculars |
2 |
temporals |
(1+2) or (2+2) |
Supralabials |
9 (5 & 6 connects with the eye) |
mental |
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infralabials |
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sublinguals |
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coastals |
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ventrals |
154-176 Keels present. Lateral ridge consist of a notch. |
anal |
Divided scale |
subcaudals |
144-175 |
Mid body is consisting of 15 rows of scales. vertebrals are clear & enlarged.
Characteristics
Cylindrical, narrow, slender body is present with a dorso-ventrally flattened pear shaped head. The neck region is clear. Long & compressed snout is present. The tip of it is broad & rounded. The nostrils are present laterally & there rounded. Round pupil is present in large eyes. Prehensile tail is 1/3 of the body of the snake.
Colour
Dorsal body of the snake is copper colour. Top of the labials & chin is cream or light green colour. The tongue is red in colour. There is a black broad bar at the sides of the head & run along the eye to the neck region. Lateral corner of the anterior body has black cross strips in a diagonal angle. 2 yellow lines run on the lateral sides of the body. Some times these lines may be margined by black dots. Ventral body is yellowish green.
Venom
These snakes are non poisonous.
Dentition
Data not found.
Behavior
They are diurnal & arboreal. These are very active snakes & do not get panicked easily. When exited they & expose the skin underneath scales. Ventral keels help them to climb trees.
Breeding
These are oviparous snakes. They lay eggs in tree hollows. 5 long eggs are laid by them at a time.
Growth
Adult length is 700-900mm.
Food
Diet consists of lizards, geckos & tree frogs.
Identification
Dendrelaphis bifrenails differ in having a red colour tongue from other Dendrelaphis spp.
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