Philothamnus nitidus
| Philothamnus nitidus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Philothamnus |
| Species: | P. nitidus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Philothamnus nitidus (Günther, 1863)
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Philothamnus nitidus, also known commonly as the green bush snake, the Cameroons wood snake, and Loveridge's green snake, is a species of snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to central Africa. There are two recognized subspecies.[2]
Description
[edit | edit source]Adults of Philothamnus nitidus usually have a total length (tail included) of 50–80 cm (20–31 in). The maximum recorded total length is 93 cm (37 in). The eye is large, with a yellow or orange iris, and a round pupil. The body is cylindrical, and the tail is very long, more than one third of the total length. The dorsal scales are smooth, and are arranged in 15 rows at midbody. The coloration is bluish green to emerald green dorsally, and paler green ventrally.[3]: 492–493
Geographic range
[edit | edit source]Philothamnus nitidus is found in Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda.[1][2]
Habitat
[edit | edit source]The preferred natural habitats of Philothamnus nitidus are forest and savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 1,200 m (3,900 ft).[1]
Behavior
[edit | edit source]Philothamnus nitidus is arboreal and diurnal.[1]
Reproduction
[edit | edit source]Philothamnus nitidus is oviparous.[1][2]
Subspecies
[edit | edit source]Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.[2]
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Philothamnus.
Etymology
[edit | edit source]The subspecific name, loveridgei, is in honor of herpetologist Arthur Loveridge.[4]: 161
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b c d e Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b c d e Species Philothamnus nitidus at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). 624 pp. (Loveridge's green snake Philothamnus nitidus, pp. 492–493).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
Further reading
[edit | edit source]- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (in German).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (Ahætulla nitida, new species, p. 286–287).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (Philothamnus nitidus loveridgei, new subspecies, p. 40). (in French).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
Lua error in Module:Taxonbar at line 165: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
