White-lipped keelback

the white-lipped keelback (Hebius leucomystax) is a species of nonvenomous natricine snake found in central Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.[1][3]

White-lipped keelback
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Hebius
Species:
H. leucomystax
Binomial name
Hebius leucomystax
(David et al.', 2007)[2]
Synonyms

Amphiesma leucomystax

Etymology

The specific name, leucomystax, is Greek for "white mustache.[3]

Biology

This snake, though primarily an upland species, is associated with both lowland and montane evergreen monsoon forests. It can be found near streams in mixed dipterocarp and pine forests. More rarely, it has been found in secondary forest.[1] Its diet includes frogs and other small animals.[4]

Description

They grow to 406 mm (16.0 in) in snout–vent length and 595 mm (23.4 in) in total length.[3] It has a beautiful yellow-white stripe that sweeps along its head, and red dots cover its body.[4]

References

  1. Stuart, B.; Thy, N. & Nguyen, T.Q. (2012). "Hebius leucomystax". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2014.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. David, Patrick; Raoul H. Bain; Nguyen Quang Trong; Nikolai L. Orlov; Gernot Vogel; Vu Ngoc Thanh & Thomas Ziegler (2007). "A new species of the natricine snake genus Amphiesma from the Indochinese Region (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1462: 41–60.
  3. Hebius leucomystax at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 7 September 2014.
  4. Thompson, Christian (2008-12-15). "First Contact in the Greater Mekong" (pdf). World Wildlife Fund. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-20.

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