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Ahaetulla Anomala
The variable colored vine snake (''Ahaetulla anomala'') is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. It is the first reported sexually dichromatic snake from the Indian Subcontinent, and until 2017 was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the green vine snake, ''Ahaetulla nasuta.'' Description This species is sexually dichromatic. Males are green and resemble the long-nosed whip snake (''Ahaetulla nasuta''), while females are brown in color and physically resemble the brown-speckled whipsnake (''Ahaetulla pulverulenta''). Distribution It is limited to India (Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar) and Bangladesh. Characteristics ''Ahaetulla anomala'' shows color polymorphism and has a gradient of green and brown colour. Sexual dichromatism is rare among snakes and is mostly only documented in some groups such as vipers ('' Bothrops''), Comoran snakes (''Lycodryas''), and Malagasy leaf-nosed snakes (''Langaha madagascariensis''). History This snake was first descri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nelson Annandale
Thomas Nelson Annandale CIE FRSE (15 June 1876, in Edinburgh – 10 April 1924, in Calcutta) was a British zoologist, entomologist, anthropologist, and herpetologist. He was the founding director of the Zoological Survey of India. Life The eldest son of Thomas Annandale, the regius professor of clinical surgery at the University of Edinburgh. His maternal grandfather was a publisher, William Nelson. Thomas was educated at Rugby School, Balliol College, Oxford where he studied under Ray Lankester and E. B. Tylor (doing better in anthropology than zoology), and at the University of Edinburgh where he studied anthropology, receiving a D.Sc. (1905). As a student he made visits to Iceland and the Faeroe Islands. In 1899 he travelled with Herbert C. Robinson as part of the Skeat Expedition to the northern part of the Malay Peninsula. Annandale went to India in 1904 as Deputy Superintendent under A.W. Alcock of the Natural History Section of the Indian Museum. He was a deputy dir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bothrops
''Bothrops'' is a genus of highly venomous pit vipers endemic to Central and South America.McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1''. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. (series). (volume). The generic name, ''Bothrops'', is derived from the Greek words βόθρος, ''bothros'', meaning "pit", and ώπς, ''ops'', meaning "eye" or "face", together an allusion to the heat-sensitive loreal pit organs. Members of this genus are responsible for more human deaths in the Americas than any other group of venomous snakes.Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. ''The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere''. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca and London. 870 pp. 1500 plates. . Currently, 48 species are recognized. Description These snakes range from small, never growing to more than , to large at over in total length. Most are characterized by having a sharp ''canthus rostralis'' and an unelevated snout. The arra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ahaetulla
''Ahaetulla,'' commonly referred to as Asian vine snakes or Asian whip snakes, is a genus of colubrid snakes distributed throughout tropical Asia. They are considered by some scientists to be mildly venomous and are what is commonly termed as 'rear-fanged' or more appropriately, opisthoglyphous, meaning their enlarged teeth or fangs, intended to aid in venom delivery, are located in the back of the upper jaw, instead of in the front as they are in vipers or cobras. As colubrids, Ahaetulla do not possess a true venom gland or a sophisticated venom delivery system. The Duvernoy's gland of this genus, homologous to the venom gland of true venomous snakes, produces a secretion which, though not well studied, is considered not to be medically significant to humans. Green-colored members of this genus are often referred to as green vine snakes. They are not to be confused with the "green vine snake" ''Oxybelis fulgidus'', which convergently appears very similar but is found in Central ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reptiles Described In 1906
Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians (tuatara). As of March 2022, the Reptile Database includes about 11,700 species. In the traditional Linnaean classification system, birds are considered a separate class to reptiles. However, crocodilians are more closely related to birds than they are to other living reptiles, and so modern cladistic classification systems include birds within Reptilia, redefining the term as a clade. Other cladistic definitions abandon the term reptile altogether in favor of the clade Sauropsida, which refers to all amniotes more closely related to modern reptiles than to mammals. The study of the traditional reptile orders, historically combined with that of modern amphibians, is called herpetology. The earliest known proto-reptiles originated around 31 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ahaetulla Oxyrhyncha
The Indian or Long-nosed vine snake (''Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha'') is a species of diurnal, mildly venomous, arboreal snake distributed in the lowlands of peninsular India.Often mistakenly believed to peck out peoples' eyes, this misconception has, sadly, led to widespread wanton killing of this species. Description A thin and slender-bodied snake that is usually bright grassy green in colour. A pair of white lines extend throughout its body length demarcating the back and under belly parts. Adults reach over 5 feet in length. They have unique horizontal pupil in the eye. Formerly mis-classified as''A. nasuta'', ''A. oxyrhyncha'' is actually a much larger-bodied species that also has a much longer snout. Geographic range This species is distributed throughout the drier plains and low hilly tracts of Peninsular India, except the Western Ghats rainforest. Habitat It is found in many types of vegetation including arid to semi-arid habitats and in dry deciduous forests, as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Biological Specificity
Biological specificity is the tendency of a characteristic such as a behavior or a biochemical variation to occur in a particular species. Biochemist Linus Pauling stated that "Biological specificity is the set of characteristics of living organisms or constituents of living organisms of being special or doing something special. Each animal or plant species is special. It differs in some way from all other species...biological specificity is the major problem about understanding life." Biological specificity within ''Homo sapiens'' ''Homo sapiens'' has many characteristics that show the biological specificity in the form of behavior and morphological traits. Morphologically, humans have an enlarged cranial capacity and more gracile features in comparison to other hominins. The reduction of dentition is a feature that allows for the advantage of adaptability in diet and survival. As a species, humans are culture dependent and much of human survival relies on the culture and so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zoological Survey Of India
The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), founded on 1 July 1916 by Government of India Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as premier Indian organisation in zoological research and studies to promote the survey, exploration and research of the fauna in the country. History The annals of Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) reflect an eventful beginning for the Survey even before its formal birth and growth. The history of ZSI begins from the days of the Asiatic Society of Bengal founded by Sir William Jones on 15 January 1784. The Asiatic Society of Bengal was the mother institution not only to the Indian Museum (1875) but also to the institutions like the Zoological Survey of India and the Geological Survey of India. ZSI's establishment was in fact a fulfillment of the dream of Sir William Jones, the founder of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, whose vision encompassed the entire range of human knowledge. The Asiatic Society had started collecting zoological and geol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Langaha Madagascariensis
''Langaha madagascariensis'' (formerly ''Langaha nasuta'', commonly known as the Madagascar or Malagasy leaf-nosed snake) is a medium-sized highly cryptic arboreal species. It is endemic to Madagascar and found in deciduous dry forests and rain forests, often in vegetation 1.5 to 2 meters above the ground. Description Malagasy leaf-nosed snakes can grow up to 1 meter in length. There is considerable sexual dimorphism within the species; the males are dorsally brown and ventrally yellow with a long tapering snout, while the females are mottled grey with a flattened, leaf shaped snout. The function of their appendage is unknown, but obviously also serves as camouflage. It is largely a sit-and-wait predator. It may show curious resting behaviour, hanging straight down from a branch. Prey items include arboreal and terrestrial lizards. It also exhibits hooding while stalking prey. These hooding and swaying behaviours along with its cryptic colour patterns, might allow L. madagasca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lycodryas
''Lycodryas'' is a genus of snakes in the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae. The genus contains ten species, eight of which are endemic to the island of Madagascar, and two to the Comoros Islands. All of the species are harmless to humans. Species The following ten species are recognized as being valid. *'' Lycodryas carleti'' ( Domergue, 1995) *'' Lycodryas citrinus'' (Domergue, 1995) *'' Lycodryas cococola'' Hawlitschek, Nagy & Glaw, 2012 *'' Lycodryas gaimardii'' (Schlegel, 1837) *'' Lycodryas granuliceps'' ( Boettger, 1877) *'' Lycodryas guentheri'' ( Boulenger, 1896) *'' Lycodryas inopinae'' (Domergue, 1995) *'' Lycodryas inornatus'' (Boulenger, 1896) *'' Lycodryas maculatus'' ( Günther, 1858) - spotted tree snake *'' Lycodryas pseudogranuliceps'' (Domergue, 1995) ''Nota bene'': A binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vipers
The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of their venom. Four subfamilies are currently recognized. They are also known as viperids. The name "viper" is derived from the Latin word ''vipera'', -''ae'', also meaning viper, possibly from ''vivus'' ("living") and ''parere'' ("to beget"), referring to the trait viviparity (giving live birth) common in vipers like most of the species of Boidae. Description All viperids have a pair of relatively long solenoglyphous (hollow) fangs that are used to inject venom from glands located towards the rear of the upper jaws, just behind the eyes. Each of the two fangs is at the front of the mouth on a short maxillary bone that can rotate back and forth. When not in use, the fangs fold back against the ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Snake
Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joints than their lizard ancestors, enabling them to swallow prey much larger than their heads (cranial kinesis). To accommodate their narrow bodies, snakes' paired organs (such as kidneys) appear one in front of the other instead of side by side, and most have only one functional lung. Some species retain a pelvic girdle with a pair of vestigial claws on either side of the cloaca. Lizards have evolved elongate bodies without limbs or with greatly reduced limbs about twenty-five times independently via convergent evolution, leading to many lineages of legless lizards. These resemble snakes, but several common groups of legless lizards have eyelids and external ears, which snakes lack, altho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, and with Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is split by the river Ganges, which flows from west to east. On 15 November 2000, southern Bihar was ceded to form the new state of Jharkhand. Only 20% of the population of Bihar lives in urban areas as of 2021. Additionally, almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, giving Bihar the highest proportion of young people of any Indian state. The official languages are Hindi and Urdu, although other languages are common, including Maithili, Magahi, Bhojpuri and other Languages of Bihar. In Ancient and Classical India, the area that is now Bihar was considered the centre of political and cultural power and as a haven of learning. From Magadha arose India's first empire, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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