''Dendrelaphis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

colubrid Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...

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. Ma ...

s, distributed from

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and southern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

Timor-Leste East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

and the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...

. There are over forty described

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

. Asian species are known commonly as bronzebacks, while the Australo-Papuan species are simply called treesnakes. All are non-venomous and entirely harmless to humans.

Classification

This list is based on the latest checklist of the snakes of the world and recent revisions and descriptions published in the scientific literature. The authors of a 2015 revision of the Australo-Papuan ''Dendrelaphis'' species recommended the

synonymy A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

of ''D. solomonis'' within ''D. calligaster'', the elevation of ''D. keiensis'' to species status, the resurrection of ''D. lineolatus'' from within ''D. calligaster'', and the resurrection of ''D. macrops'' and elevation of ''D. striolatus'' from within ''D. punctulatus''. They also confined ''D. punctulatus'' to Australia and ''D. papuensis'' to the

Trobriand Islands The Trobriand Islands are a archipelago of coral atolls off the east coast of New Guinea. They are part of the nation of Papua New Guinea and are in Milne Bay Province. Most of the population of 12,000 indigenous inhabitants live on the main isla ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

. *''

Dendrelaphis andamanensis ''Dendrelaphis'' is a genus of colubrid snakes, distributed from Pakistan, India and southern China to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Australia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. There are over forty described species. Asian species ...

'' –

Andaman Andaman may refer to: * Andaman Islands * Andaman Sea * ''Andaman'' (1998 film), a Kannada-language film * ''Andaman'' (2016 film), a Tamil-language film * ''Andaman'' (2021 film), a Hindi-language film See also * Andaman and Nicobar Islands ...

bronzeback *''

Dendrelaphis ashoki ''Dendrelaphis'' is a genus of colubrid snakes, distributed from Pakistan, India and southern China to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Australia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. There are over forty described species. Asian species ...

'' – Ashok's bronzeback *''

Dendrelaphis bifrenalis ''Dendrelaphis bifrenalis'', also called Boulenger's bronzeback, Boulenger's bronze-back, and Travancore bronze-brown snake, is a colubrid snake native to Eastern Ghats of Southern India and Sri Lanka. It was first described by George Albert B ...

'' , Boulenger's bronzeback – southern India and Sri Lanka *'' Dendrelaphis biloreatus'' – Gore's bronzeback *''

Dendrelaphis calligaster ''Dendrelaphis calligastra'', also called green tree snake and northern green tree snake is a colubrid snake native to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia. It is a slender, large-eyed, non-venomous, diurnal snake, which grows up to 1.2 m i ...

'' – northern treesnake, green treesnake, coconut treesnake *''

Dendrelaphis caudolineatus ''Dendrelaphis caudolineatus'' is a common species of colubrid snake known commonly as the striped bronzeback or grey bronzeback. It is not venomous and it is the most commonly sold snake as a pet; however, they live longer in the wild. Descri ...

'' – striped bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis caudolineolatus'' *'' Dendrelaphis chairecacos'' –

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis cyanochloris'' – blue bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis flavescens'' –

Sulu Sulu (), officially the Province of Sulu (Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Wilāya sin Lupa' Sūg''; tl, Lalawigan ng Sulu), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines in the Sulu Archipelago and part of the Bangsamoro, Bangsamor ...

bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis formosus'' – elegant bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis fuliginosus'' –

Negros Negros is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . Negros is one of the many islands of the Visayas, in the central part of the country. The predominant inhabitants of the island region a ...

bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis gastrostictus'' – spot-bellied treesnake, montane treesnake *'' Dendrelaphis girii'' – Giri's bronzeback *''

Dendrelaphis grandoculis ''Dendrelaphis grandoculis'', commonly called as the large-eyed bronzeback or southern bronzeback, is a species of Colubrid snake endemic to the Western Ghats of southwestern India. Description Eye extremely large, as long as its distance from ...

'' – southern bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis grismeri'' – Grismer's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis haasi'' – Haas's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis hollinrakei'' –

Shek Kwu Chau Shek Kwu Chau is an island of Hong Kong, located south of Lantau Island and between Cheung Chau and the Soko Islands. Administratively, it is part of Islands District. Shek Kwu Chau is a restricted area and a permit is required to visit the ...

island tree snake *''

Dendrelaphis humayuni ''Dendrelaphis humayuni'', also known commonly as the Nicobar bronzeback or Tiwari's bronzeback, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Nicobar Islands of India. Etymology ''D. humayuni'' was named after ...

'' – Nicobar bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis keiensis'' –

Kei Islands The Kai Islands (also Kei Islands) of Indonesia are a group of islands in the southeastern part of the Maluku Islands, located in the province of Maluku. The Moluccas have been known as the Spice Islands due to regionally specific plants such ...

bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis kopsteini'' – Kopstein's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis inornatus'' –

Lesser Sunda The Lesser Sunda Islands or nowadays known as Nusa Tenggara Islands ( id, Kepulauan Nusa Tenggara, formerly ) are an archipelago in Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Australia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up ...

bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis levitoni'' –

Palawan Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in ...

bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis lineolatus'' *'' Dendrelaphis lorentzii'' –

Lorentz River The Lorentz River (also Unir or Undir in Indonesian, or Noordrivier in Dutch) is located in the Indonesian province of South Papua in Western New Guinea, about 3,500 km northeast of the Indonesian capital Jakarta.Dendrelaphis luzonensis'' –

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis macrops'' – big-eyed treesnake *'' Dendrelaphis marenae'' – Maren Gaulke's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis modestus'' –

Moluccan Moluccans are the Austronesian-speaking and Papuan-speaking ethnic groups indigenous to the Maluku Islands (also called the Moluccas), Indonesia. The region was historically known as the Spice Islands, and today consists of two Indonesian prov ...

bronzeback, grey bronzeback, striped bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis ngansonensis'' – Ngan Son bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis nigroserratus'' – sawtooth-necked bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis oliveri'' – Oliver's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis papuensis'' –

treesnake *'' Dendrelaphis philippiensis'' –

Philippine The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

bronzeback *''

Dendrelaphis pictus ''Dendrelaphis pictus'', the common bronzeback, painted bronzeback, or Indonesian bronzeback, is a species of snake found in Southeast Asia and India. Description In the painted bronzeback the maxillary teeth number from 23 to 26, the eye is as ...

'' – painted bronzeback, common bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis punctulatus'' – common treesnake,

n treesnake *'' Dendrelaphis schokari'' – Schokar's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis sinharajensis'' – Sinharaja tree snake *'' Dendrelaphis striatus'' – striped bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis striolatus'' –

Palau Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...

treesnake *'' Dendrelaphis subocularis'' – mountain bronzeback, Burmese bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis terrificus'' –

Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...

bronzeback, terrific bronzeback *''

Dendrelaphis tristis ''Dendrelaphis tristis'' (Common bronzeback or Daudin's bronzeback) is a species of tree-snake found in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bhutan. Description ''Dendrelaphis tristis'' is a long, slender snake with a poi ...

'' – common bronzeback, Daudin's bronzebackack *'' Dendrelaphis underwoodi'' – Underwood's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis vogeli'' – Vogel's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis walli'' – Wall's bronzeback native to Myanmar *'' Dendrelaphis wickrorum'' – Wickramasinghes’ bronzeback

Description

Bronzebacks range in total length (including tail) from to up to . All species have a slender body with a long tail. Males are shorter in length and brighter in coloration; they also tend to be more active. Females are stouter with duller or darker colorations and are less active. Typical coloration includes red, brown or orange on the head with bronze, brown or olive-green running down the length of the back. The underside of the body is usually bright to pale green or yellow. They have big eyes and bright red tongues. The tail is fully prehensile.

Diet

The primary

prey Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the ...

of ''Dendrelaphis'' species consists of

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

s and

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

s, but the larger species are capable of taking

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

s, and small

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

References

External links

*
Video of ''Dendrelaphis kopsteini'' in Malaysia
{{Taxonbar, from=Q179711 Colubrids Snake genera Snakes of Asia Snakes of Southeast Asia Reptiles of Oceania Taxa named by George Albert Boulenger Snakes of Australia

Classification

Description

Diet

References

Further reading

External links