Green Vine Snake (Common Vine Snake) is the most widely distributed Ahaetulla species in India also the only species of genus in most of the parts of peninsular and northern India. One of the most common and ecologically significant species of Western Ghats. It can be identified easily by checking very thin & long body including tail, green dorsal, leaf or arrow like head with very pointed snout.
🗒 Synonyms
| synonym | Ahaetulla mycterizans Link, 1807 |
| synonym | Ahaetulla nasuta Cox et al. 1998 |
| synonym | Ahaetulla nasuta Manthey & Grossmann 1997 |
| synonym | Ahaetulla nasuta Wallach et al. 2014 |
| synonym | Ahaetulla nasutus Sharma, 2004 |
| synonym | Ahaetulla nautus [sic] Vyas 2007 |
| synonym | Ahaetulla nautus Vyas, 2007 |
| synonym | Coluber mycterizans Russell 1796 (not Linnaeus |
| synonym | Coluber mycterizans Russell, 1796 |
| synonym | Coluber nasutus Lacépède 1789 |
| synonym | Coluber nasutus Lacepede, 1789 |
| synonym | Dryinus fuscus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 |
| synonym | Dryinus nasutus Duméril & Bibron 1854 |
| synonym | Dryinus nasutus Merrem, 1820 |
| synonym | Dryinus oxyrhynchus Bell 1825 (fide Smith 1943) |
| synonym | Dryinus oxyrhynchus Bell, 1825 |
| synonym | Dryinus russellianus Bell 1825 (fide Smith 1943) |
| synonym | Dryinus russellianus Bell, 1825 |
| synonym | Dryiophis nasuta Schlegel, 1837 |
| synonym | Dryophis hammatorhynchus Fitzinger, 1826 |
| synonym | Dryophis mycterizans Boulenger 1890 (fide Smith 1943) |
| synonym | Dryophis mycterizans Boulenger, 1890 |
| synonym | Dryophis mycterizans cineroventer Wall 1908 |
| synonym | Dryophis mycterizans isabellinus Wall 1910 |
| synonym | Dryophis mycterizans lepidorostralis Wall 1908 (fide Smith 1943) |
| synonym | Dryophis mycterizans rhodogaster Wall 1908 (fide Smith 1943) |
| synonym | Dryophis mycterizans rhodonotus Wall 1921 (fide Smith 1943) |
| synonym | Dryophis mycterizans tephrogaster Wall 1908 |
| synonym | Dryophis nasuta Lacépède 1789 |
| synonym | Dryophis nasuta Lacepede, 1789 |
| synonym | Dryophis nasutus Smith, 1943 |
| synonym | Dryophis passericki Schinz 1833 (fide Bauer 2015 |
| synonym | Passerita nasuta Cochran, 1930 |
🗒 Common Names
| English |
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| Malayalam |
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| Other |
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📚 Overview
Summary
Reptile group
snakes
Brief
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Scales 15:15:13 oblique rows. Ventrals 166-207; anal divided; subcaudals: males 156-180, females 135-152, paired
Sandeep Das, P S Easa, Jafer Palot
| Attributions | Sandeep Das, P S Easa, Jafer Palot |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Diagnostic Keys
Head:
Supralabial 8; only one in contact with eyes; loreal absent; preocular 1; presubocular 1 or 2; postocular 2; temporal 1+2 or 2+2.
Dorsal:
Smooth scales in 15: 5: 13 in oblique rows.
Ventral:
166-207; anal divided.
Sub Caudal:
156-180 (Male), 135-152 (Female); paired.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
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Description
Dorsal body:
Thin, long and slender body. Scales smooth, long and obliquely arranged. Dorsal color parrot green or bluish-green; brown in variety isabellinus. Regular black interscale patterns present in oblique manner from neck to much of mid body.
Ventral body -
Belly entirely yellow-green without any pattern. Sometimes a white or yellow line separates dorsal and ventral surfaces. Subcaudal scales paired in a zigzag manner.
Head -
Head long, clearly broader than neck with extremely pointed snout. Upper lip color white or yellow. Oval shape eyes have horizontal pupils.
Tail -
Very long, thin and slender tail ends with pointed tip.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Nomenclature and Classification
📚 Natural History
Reproduction
Reproductive mode (Reptiles)
Ovoviviparous
It is assumed to be capable for mating in most of the year. Female directly gives birth to 23 (maximum) young in dense bushes from monsoon to most of winters.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Morphology
Dorsal body:
Thin, long and slender body. Scales smooth, long and obliquely arranged. Dorsal color parrot green or bluish-green; brown in variety isabellinus. Regular black interscale patterns present in oblique manner from neck to much of mid body.
Ventral body -
Belly entirely yellow-green without any pattern. Sometimes a white or yellow line separates dorsal and ventral surfaces. Subcaudal scales paired in zigzag manner.
Head -
Head long, clearly broader than neck with extremely pointed snout. Upper lip color white or yellow. Oval shape eyes have horizontal pupils.
Tail -
Very long, thin and slender tail ends with pointed tip.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Look Alikes
Short-nosed Vine Snake
Günther’s Vine Snake
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Behaviour
Locomotion fast in arboreal environment while slow on land. Behaviour shy and usually non-ofensive. On threatening it throws half of fore body into loops or curvs, laterally inflates it and open its mouth as wide as possible to look fascinating and bigger. Can bite in chew manner. Also it has been observed that it sometimes try to target eyes on face of the person causing provocation. Due to its thin body and green color it can easily vanish in green bushes.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Trophic Strategy
Green vine snake feeding on a keelback (Amphiesma/Hebius sp.)
Green vine snake feeding on a keelback (Amphiesma/Hebius sp.)
Ophiophagus behaviour:
Harikrishnan S.
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Feeds on variety of prey including lizards, birds, frogs, other snakes including venomous ones, rodents etc.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Habitat and Distribution
General Habitat
Choose dense bushes and plantation to stay at a place without showing any movement. Hides in dense green vegetation of low height. Found both in hills and plains. Lives in variety of forests including mixed, dry and moist deciduous forests. Not found in deserts.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Arboreal
Sandeep Das, P S Easa, Jafer Palot
| Attributions | Sandeep Das, P S Easa, Jafer Palot |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Description
Found in whole mainland including north-east states. Not found in Indian islands and Thar desert.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Throughout except in Northwest
Sandeep Das, P S Easa, Jafer Palot
| Attributions | Sandeep Das, P S Easa, Jafer Palot |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Occurrence
No Data
📚 Demography and Conservation
Threats
Threats includes killing due to confusion & misidentification with venomous species and usually due to myths. More threats are loss of dense vegetation, low height plantation, road kills etc.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Protection Legal Status
Wildlife Protection Act (1972): Schedule 4.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Uses and Management
Uses
Green Vine is the most common and widespread Ahaetulla species of India. It is found very commonly in Western Ghats and parts of North-east where it plays remarkable role in controlling lizard, frog and other snake. Due to its wide range of diet its population density is higher than any other arboreal snake of Western Ghats.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Folklore
There are two most known myths about this species. First it is considered to be a snake which targets only on enemy's eyes with its sharp snout and make the victim blind. In many parts of Central India it is said that it can fly and its shadow can cause paralysis.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Information Listing
References
- Whitaker, R. and Captain, A .2004. Snakes of India. The Field Guide. Draco Books.Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu,xiv+479, pls, text-figs.
Overview > Diagnostic > Diagnostic Keys
- Whitaker R., Captain A. (2004) Snakes of India, The Field Guide. Draco Books
- Chandra K., Gajbe P. U. (2005) An inventory of herpetofauna of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Zoos' Print Journal 20(3): 1812-1819
- Purkayastha J. (2013) An Amateur’s Guide to Reptiles of Assam. EBH Publishers(India)
- Whitaker R. (2005) Common Indian Snakes, A Field Guide. Macmillian Publishers
- Kannan P., Venkatraman C. (1998) Reptile fauna of Siruvani Hills, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Tamil Nadu. Cobra, Vo. 33, pp. 6-9
- Corlett R. T. (2011) Vertebrate carnivores and predation in the oriental (Indomalayan) region. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 59(2): 325–360
- Smith M. A. (1943) The fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma including the whole of The Indo-Chinese Sub-region, Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol 3 Serpentes. Taylor & Francis, London.
- Sharma S. K. (2005) Three Records of Ahaetulla nasuta var. Isabellinus from Rajasthan. Zoos’ Print Journal 20(11) 2061
- Boulenger G. A. (1896) Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. 3, London: Taylor and Francis.
- Ganesh S. R., Asokan,J. R. (2010) Catalogue of Indian herpetological specimens in the collection of the Government Museum Chennai, India. Hamadryad Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 46 – 63
- Das I., Dattagupta, B., Gayen N. C. (1998) History and catalogue of reptile types in the collection of the Zoological Survey of India. J. South Asian nat. Hist. Vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 121-172
- Murthy T. S. N. (2010) The reptile fauna of India. B. R. Publishing Corporation
- Ganesh S. R., Chadramouli S. R., Sreekar, R., Shankar, P. G. (2013) Reptiles of the Central Western Ghats, India- A reappraisal and revised checklist, with emphasis on the Agumbe Plateau. Russian Journal of Herpetology. Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 134- 142
- Chandramouli S. R., Ganesh S. R. (2010) Herpetofauna of Southern Western Ghats, India − reinvestigated after decades. Taprobanica Vol. 02: NO. 02: pp. 72-85
- Chikane S., Bhosale H. (2012) Reptiles of Kaas, Northern Western Ghats, Maharashtra, India, with notes on habitat preferences, abundances and threats. Sauria, Berlin, 34 (3): 3–15
- Thakur S. (2011) A note on snakes of Kanha National Park and surrounding areas. Reptile Rap, No. 11, pp. 2-5
- Murthy T. S. N. (1990) Illustrated Guide to the Snakes of the Western Ghats, India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India, Occasional Paper No. 114
- Srinivasulu C., Das I. (2008) The herpetofauna of Nallamala Hills, Eastern Ghats, India: An annotated checklist, with remarks on nomenclature, taxonomy, Habitat use, adaptive types and biogeography. Asiatic Herpetological Research, Vol. 11, pp.110–131
- Dutta S. K., Acharjyo L. N. (1995) Herpetofaunal resources and their conservation in Orissa, India. Zoos’ Print, Vol. 10, No. 7, pp. 5-8
- Boulenger G. A. (1890) The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma, Reptilia and Batrachia. London: Taylor and Francis.
Information Listing > References
- Whitaker, R. and Captain, A .2004. Snakes of India. The Field Guide. Draco Books.Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu,xiv+479, pls, text-figs.
Effect of vehicular traffic on wild animals in Sigur Plateau, Tamil Nadu, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaVertebrate fauna of the Chambal River Basin, with emphasis on the National Chambal Sanctuary, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaCEPF Western Ghats Special Series: Status of reptiles in Meghamalai and its environs, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaBreeding biology of the Grey-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus priocephalus (Aves: Pycnonotidae) in the Western Ghats, India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaRoad kill of animals by highway traffic in the tropical forests of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, southern India
Jo
Journal of Threatened TaxaNo Data
🐾 Taxonomy
| Root | Root |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Squamata |
| Family | Colubridae |
| Genus | Ahaetulla |
| Species | Ahaetulla nasuta (Lacépède 1789) |
📊 Temporal Distribution
📷 Related Observations
