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Rhabdophis helleri

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rhabdophis helleri
From Assam, India.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Rhabdophis
Species:
R. helleri
Binomial name
Rhabdophis helleri
(Schmidt, 1925)
Synonyms[1]
  • Natrix helleri
    Schmidt, 1925
  • Natrix subminiata helleri
    Mell, 1931
  • Rhabdophis subminiatus var. helleri
    Deuve, 1961
  • Rhabdophis subminiata helleri
    Taylor, 1965
  • Rhabdophis helleri
    Liu et al., 2021

Rhabdophis helleri, also known commonly as Heller’s red-necked keelback, is a venomous species of keelback snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to South Asia.[1]

Etymology

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The specific name, helleri, is in honor of American zoologist Edmund Heller.[1]

Geographic range

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R. helleri is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hong Kong, Sichuan, Yunnan), India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura), Myanmar, Nepal, and northern Vietnam.[1]

Type locality: Tengyueh, 5500 feet elevation, Province of Yunnan, China, 25°01'N, 98°30'E.[1]

Description

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A medium-sized snake, R. helleri may attain a total length (including tail) of 1.3 m (4.3 ft). It has 163–172 ventrals.[1]

Reproduction

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R. helleri is oviparous.[1]

Venom

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Individual feeding.

The venom of R. helleri can cause severe coagulopathy, but no human fatalities have been reported.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Rhabdophis helleri at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 23 December 2018.

Further reading

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  • David P, Vogel G (2021). "Taxonomic composition of the Rhabdophis subminiatus (Schlegel, 1837) species complex (Reptilia: Natricidae) with the description of a new species from China". Taprobanica 10 (2): 89–120. (Rhabdophis helleri, pp. 102–105, Figures 5–6).
  • Deuve J (1961). "Liste annotée des serpents du Laos ". Bulletin de la Société des Sciences Naturelles du Laos 1: 5–32. (Rhabdophis subminiatus var. helleri, new combination, p. 14). (in French).
  • Mell R (1931) ("1929"). "List of Chinese Snakes". Lignan Science Journal 8: 199–219. (Natrix subminiata helleri, new combination).
  • Schmidt KP (1925). "New Reptiles and a New Salamander from China". American Museum Novitates (157): 1–5. (Natrix helleri, new species, p. 3).