Rhabdops olivaceus
The olive trapezoid snake or olive forest snake (Rhabdops olivaceus) is a rare and little-known nonvenomous snake endemic to the Western Ghats of India. This species is found in damp steamsides within rainforests and is distributed from Palghat in Kerala to the Malanad area of Karnataka. It is a docile, placid snake and is said to be semiaquatic, feeding on small, soft-bodied animals. In habits, it is more frequently seen during the rains, both day or night.
| Olive trapezoid snake | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Rhabdops |
| Species: | R. olivaceus |
| Binomial name | |
| Rhabdops olivaceus (Beddome, 1863) | |
Recently, populations in Goa and Maharashtra were named as a new species, Rhabdops aquaticus.
Its taxonomic affinities remain enigmatic, often shifting between the xenodermatines and natricines, and still awaits a proper placement.
External links
References
- Beddome, R.H. 1863 Madras Q. J. Med. Sci. vi: 2.
- Bhosale, Harshal Satish; Devavrat Joshi 2014. Notes on Distribution, Natural History and Habitat Use of a Colubridae Snake, Rhabdops olivaceus (Beddome, 1863) Russ. J. Herpetol. 21 (3): 166–168.
- Ganesh, S. R., S. R. Chandramouli and P. Gowri Shankar 2012. Record lengths of two endemic caenophidian snakes from the Western Ghats Mountains, India. Hamadryad 36 (1): 44–46.
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