Latest Discoveries about Genus Ahaetulla in Sri Lanka

 

There are 17 species that belong to genus Ahaetulla in the world and Sri Lanka is home for 2 of them.

1. (Ahaetulla cf nasuta)
2. (Ahaetulla pulverulenta)

They are Distributed over South and South-east Asia. (Ahaetulla prasina had been recorded from China also). All are slightly  venomous and arboreal snakes. Usually feeding on frogs,birds small mammals, geckos,and other small snakes. They are well-camouflaged because most of them are green or brown in colour. Vine Snakes have an oblong head and relatively larger eyes with horizontal pupils. They provide them with an excellent, wide field of view. All Ahaetulla species are diurnal.

Ahaetulla nasuta was known as distributed over South and South East Asia. But now onwards according to the latest research on this genius, It is (Ahaetulla cf nasuta) is an endemic species to Sri Lanka. According  to their are genetic and morphological differences between the first specimen that was discovered from Sri Lanka and specimens from Laos and India. Ahaetulla pulverulenta was known as distributed throughout India and the Dry zone of Sri Lanka. But according to the latest studies, the species from the Western Ghats are not similar to Ahaetulla pulverulenta and A. pulverulenta is named as an endemic species to Sri Lanka. Because they are morphologically different from other specimens that were collected from the Western Ghats. As these new discoveries, the number of endemic snake species of Sri Lanka is increased to 58.

Source: zootaxa

 

Reference: https://www.mapress.com/j/zt/issue/view/zootaxa.4874.1

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