''Rhabdophis angeli'', also known commonly as Angel's keelback, is a

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 ...

keelback Keelback may refer to any of the following snake genera: * ''Amphiesma'' * ''Amphiesmoides'', a monotypic genus in the Colubridae with its sole representative, the white-eyed keelback, ''Amphiesmoides ornaticeps'' * '' Atretium'', a monotypic genus ...

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 ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Colubridae 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 ...

. The species is endemic to Vietnam.

Etymology

The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

, ''angeli'', is in honor of French herpetologist

Fernand Angel Fernand Angel (2 February 1881, Douzy – 13 July 1950, Paris) was a French herpetologist. In 1905 he began work as Assistant Preparator under Léon Vaillant and François Mocquard at the ''Muséum national d'histoire naturelle'' in Paris. Later o ...

Geographic range

''R. angeli'' is found in northern Vietnam, in

Thái Nguyên Province Cài () is a Chinese-language surname that derives from the name of the ancient Cai state. In 2019 it was the 38th most common surname in China, but the 9th most common in Taiwan (as of 2018), where it is usually romanized as "Tsai" (based on ...

and Vĩnh Phúc Province.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of ''R. angeli'' is forest.

Description

''R. angeli'' may attain a total length (including tail) of . Smith MA (1943). ''The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia, Vol. III.—Serpentes''. London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xii + 583 pp. (''Natrix angeli'', p. 300).

Reproduction

''R. angeli'' is

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...

Etymology

Geographic range

Habitat

Description

Reproduction

References

Further reading