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 ...
of
colubrid
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. Colu ...
snakes. This
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 ...
is one of several
colubrid
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. Colu ...
genera
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
colloquially called "
rat snake
Rat snakes are members – along with kingsnakes, milk snakes, Oxybelis, vine snakes and indigo snakes – of the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. They are medium to large Constriction, constrictors and are found throughout much o ...
s" or "ratsnakes".
The generic name derives from
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
πτυάς, meaning " spitter", which referred to a kind of snake believed to spit venom in the eyes of humans, although in reality none of the ''Ptyas'' are known to spit venom.
Species
13 species are recognized:
* ''
Ptyas carinata
''Ptyas carinata'', commonly known as the keeled rat snake, is a species of colubrid snake. It is found in Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, India, Vietnam, Laos and Singapore. This little known species is probably t ...
Ptyas dhumnades
''Ptyas dhumnades'', commonly known as Cantor's rat snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. It is found in China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. Distribution
The species is widespread in South China (Anhui, Chongqin, Gansu, Fujian,
Guangdon ...
'' (
Cantor
A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. Cantor as a profession generally refers to those leading a Jewish congregation, although it also applies to the lead singer or choir director in Christian contexts. ...
Ptyas fusca
''Ptyas fusca'', commonly known as the white-bellied rat snake or brown rat snake, is a species of colubrid snake. It is found in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an ...
'' (Günther, 1858) – white-bellied rat snake, brown rat snake
* ''
Ptyas herminae
The Sakishima green snake (''Ptyas herminae'') is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the Yaeyama Islands in the southern Ryukyu Islands of Japan.
Etymology
The specific name, ''herminae'', is in honor of Boe ...
Ptyas korros
''Ptyas'' is a genus of colubrid snakes. This genus is one of several colubrid genera colloquially called " rat snakes" or "ratsnakes".
The generic name derives from Ancient Greek πτυάς, meaning " spitter", which referred to a kind of snak ...
'' (Schlegel, 1837) – Chinese ratsnake, Indo-Chinese ratsnake
* ''
Ptyas luzonensis
''Ptyas luzonensis'', commonly known as the smooth-scaled mountain rat snake, is a species of rat snake in the family Colubridae. It is endemic to the Philippines.
Taxonomy
The specific name, ''luzonensis'', refers to Luzon island in the Philip ...
'' (Günther, 1873) – smooth-scaled mountain rat snake
* ''
Ptyas major
''Ptyas'' is a genus of colubrid snakes. This genus is one of several colubrid genera colloquially called " rat snakes" or "ratsnakes".
The generic name derives from Ancient Greek πτυάς, meaning " spitter", which referred to a kind of s ...
Ptyas mucosa
''Ptyas'' is a genus of colubrid snakes. This genus is one of several colubrid genera colloquially called " rat snakes" or "ratsnakes".
The generic name derives from Ancient Greek πτυάς, meaning " spitter", which referred to a kind of sn ...
'' (
Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...
,
1758
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoologic ...
) – Oriental rat snake, Indian rat snake
* ''
Ptyas multicincta
''Ptyas'' is a genus of colubrid snakes. This genus is one of several colubrid genera colloquially called " rat snakes" or "ratsnakes".
The generic name derives from Ancient Greek πτυάς, meaning " spitter", which referred to a kind of s ...
'' (
Roux
Roux () is a mixture of flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces. Roux is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight. The flour is added to the melted fat or Cooking oil, oil on the stove top, blended until smoo ...
, 1907) – many-banded green snake, North China green snake
* ''
Ptyas nigromarginata
''Ptyas nigromarginata'', commonly known as the green rat snake or black-bordered rat snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to parts of Southeast Asia, including regions of China, India, Myanmar, and Viet ...
'' ( Blyth, 1854) – green rat snake, black-bordered rat snake
* ''
Ptyas semicarinata
''Ptyas'' is a genus of colubrid snakes. This genus is one of several colubrid genera colloquially called " rat snakes" or "ratsnakes".
The generic name derives from Ancient Greek πτυάς, meaning " spitter", which referred to a kind of sn ...