''Dendrelaphis'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

s in the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

Ahaetuliinae The Ahaetuliinae are a subfamily of vine snakes within the family Colubridae that was erected in 2016. They are found from South and Southeast Asia through to Australia. Etymology The name comes from the genus '' Ahaetulla'', which gets its name ...

of the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from , 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest fossil species of the family date back to the Late Eocene epoch, with earlier origins suspected. C ...

Species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of the genus ''Dendrelaphis'' are distributed from

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

and southern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

Timor-Leste Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

and the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...

. There are over 50 described

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

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

Taxonomy

''Dendrelaphis'' is one of five genera belonging to the vine snake

, of which ''Dendrelaphis'' is most closely related to ''

Chrysopelea ''Chrysopelea'' is a genus of snakes, commonly known as flying snakes or gliding snakes, that belong to the family Colubridae. ''Chrysopelea'' species are found in Southeast Asia, and are known for their ability to glide between trees. Flying ...

'', as shown in the

cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ...

below:

Species

This list is based on the latest checklist of snakes in 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

synonymizing In taxonomy, the scientific classification of living organisms, a synonym is an alternative scientific name for the accepted scientific name of a taxon. The botanical and zoological codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. ...

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 60,000 (2016) indigenous inhabitants live on the m ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

. *'' Dendrelaphis andamanensis'' –

Andaman Andaman may refer to: * Andaman Islands, an island group in the Bay of Bengal * Andaman Island, Penang, an artificial island in George Town, Penang * Andaman Sea, a sea of the eastern Indian Ocean * ''Andaman'' (1998 film), an Indian Kannada-lang ...

bronzeback *''

Dendrelaphis anthracina ''Dendrelaphis'' is a genus of snakes in the subfamily Ahaetuliinae of the family Colubridae. Species of the genus ''Dendrelaphis'' are distributed from Pakistan, India and southern China to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Australia, New ...

'' *'' Dendrelaphis ashoki'' – Ashok's bronzeback tree snake *''

Dendrelaphis atra ''Dendrelaphis'' is a genus of snakes in the subfamily Ahaetuliinae of the family Colubridae. Species of the genus ''Dendrelaphis'' are distributed from Pakistan, India and southern China to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Australia, New ...

'' *'' Dendrelaphis bifrenalis'' – Boulenger's bronzeback – southern India and Sri Lanka *''

Dendrelaphis biloreatus ''Dendrelaphis biloreatus'' (often called Gore's bronzeback or referred to as the Himalayan bronzeback) is a species of tree snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Asia. Geographic range ''D. biloreatus'' can be found in parts ...

'' – Gore's bronzeback *''

Dendrelaphis binhi ''Dendrelaphis binhi'', the Binh's bronzeback snake, is a species of bronzeback snake endemic to Southern Vietnam. The species was described in 2023 and is named after Vietnamese herpetologist Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ...

'' – Binh's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis calligaster'' – northern treesnake, green treesnake, coconut treesnake *'' Dendrelaphis caudolineatus'' – striped bronzeback, grey bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis caudolineolatus'' – Gunther's bronzeback tree snake *'' Dendrelaphis chairecacos'' *''

Dendrelaphis cyanochloris ''Dendrelaphis cyanochloris'', commonly known as Wall's bronzeback or the blue bronzeback, is a species of colubrid snake found in Southeast Asia. Taxonomy ''Dendrelaphis cyanochloris'' belongs to the genus ''Dendrelaphis'', which contains 48 ...

'' – blue bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis effrenis'' – Sinharaja tree snake *'' Dendrelaphis flavescens'' –

Sulu Sulu (), officially the Province of Sulu (Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Wilaya' sin Lupa' Sūg''; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines in the Sulu Archipelago. It was part of the Bangsamoro, Bangsamoro Autonomous R ...

bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis formosus'' – elegant bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis fuliginosus'' – Philippine lamp-black tree snake *'' Dendrelaphis gastrostictus'' – montane treesnake *'' Dendrelaphis girii'' – Giri's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis grandoculis'' – large-eyed bronzeback, southern bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis grismeri'' *''

Dendrelaphis haasi ''Dendrelaphis haasi'', also known commonly as Haas' bronzeback, Haas's bronzeback, Haas's bronzeback snake, and Haas's bronzeback tree snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to Southeast Asia. Etymology Th ...

'' – Haas's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis hollinrakei'' *'' Dendrelaphis humayuni'' – Nicobar bronzeback, Tiwari's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis inornatus'' –

Lesser Sunda The Lesser Sunda Islands (, , ), now known as Nusa Tenggara Islands (, or "Southeast Islands"), are an archipelago in the Indonesian archipelago. Most of the Lesser Sunda Islands are located within the Wallacea region, except for the Bali pr ...

bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis keiensis'' – Kei treesnake *'' Dendrelaphis kopsteini'' – Kopstein's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis levitoni'' – Leviton's bronzeback tree snake *'' 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 List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...

bronzeback treesnake *'' Dendrelaphis macrops'' *''

Dendrelaphis marenae ''Dendrelaphis marenae'', also known commonly as Gaulke's bronze-back tree snake and Maren's bronzeback, is a species of snake in the subfamily Ahaetuliinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to Southeast Asia. Etymology The speci ...

'' – Maren's bronzeback *''

Dendrelaphis melanarkys ''Dendrelaphis'' is a genus of snakes in the subfamily Ahaetuliinae of the family Colubridae. Species of the genus ''Dendrelaphis'' are distributed from Pakistan, India and southern China to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Australia, New ...

'' *'' Dendrelaphis modestus'' – grey bronzeback, striped bronzeback *''

Dendrelaphis ngansonensis ''Dendrelaphis ngansonensis'', commonly known as either the Nganson bronzeback or Nganson bronzeback tree snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae, sound in Southeast Asia. Etymology The species name ''ngansonensis'' is named after ...

'' – Nganson bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis nigroserratus'' – sawtooth-necked bronzeback *''

Dendrelaphis oliveri ''Dendrelaphis oliveri'', commonly known as Oliver's bronzeback, is a species of nonvenomous arboreal snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sri Lanka. It is considered to be the rarest of the Sri Lankan Dendrelaphis species on ...

'' – Oliver's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis papuensis'' – Papuan treesnake *''

Dendrelaphis philippinensis ''Dendrelaphis philippinensis '', the Philippine bronzeback treesnake, is a species of snake of the family Colubridae. Geographic range The snake is found in the Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is ...

'' –

Philippine The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

bronzeback treesnake *''

Dendrelaphis pictus ''Dendrelaphis pictus'', commonly known as either the common bronzeback, painted bronzeback, or Indonesian bronzeback, is a species of colubrid snake found in Southeast Asia. Taxonomy ''Dendrelaphis pictus'' belongs to the genus ''Dendrelaphis ...

'' – painted bronzeback, common bronzeback, Indonesian bronzeback *''

Dendrelaphis proarchos ''Dendrelaphis proarchos'' is a species of snake of the family Colubridae. Geographic range The snake is found in Northeast India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and China China, officially the People's Republic of China ( ...

'' *''

Dendrelaphis punctulatus ''Dendrelaphis punctulatus'', also known commonly as the Australian tree snake, the common tree snake, and the green tree snake, is a species of slender, large-eyed, diurnal, non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native t ...

'' – common treesnake,

n treesnake, green tree snake *'' Dendrelaphis schokari'' – Schokar's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis striatus'' – striped bronzeback, striated bronzeback treesnake *'' Dendrelaphis striolatus'' *'' Dendrelaphis subocularis'' – mountain bronzeback, Burmese bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis terrificus'' – terrific bronzeback *''

Dendrelaphis thasuni ''Dendrelaphis'' is a genus of snakes in the subfamily Ahaetuliinae of the family Colubridae. Species of the genus ''Dendrelaphis'' are distributed from Pakistan, India and southern China to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Philippines, Australia, New ...

'' *''

Dendrelaphis tristis ''Dendrelaphis tristis'' (Common bronzeback or Daudin's bronzeback) is a species of colubrid tree-snake found in South Asia. It is not venomous, and harmless to humans. Taxonomy ''Dendrelaphis tristis'' belongs to the genus ''Dendrelaphis'', w ...

'' – common bronzeback, Daudin's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis underwoodi'' – Underwood's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis vogeli'' – Vogel's bronzeback *'' Dendrelaphis walli'' *'' 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 in which 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 ki ...

of ''Dendrelaphis'' species consists of

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

s and

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

s, but the larger species are capable of taking

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). 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 birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

s, and small

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

References

External links