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Rhabdophis helleri

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Species of snake

Rhabdophis helleri
In Hong Kong
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Rhabdophis
Species: R. helleri
Binomial name
Rhabdophis helleri
(Schmidt, 1925)
Synonyms
  • Natrix helleri
    Schmidt, 1925
  • Natrix subminiata helleri
    — Mell, 1931
  • Rhabdophis subminiatus var. helleri
    — Deuve, 1961
  • Rhabdophis subminiata helleri
    — Taylor, 1965
  • Rhabdophis helleri
    — Liu et al., 2021

Rhabdophis helleri, also known commonly as Heller’s red-necked keelback, is a venomous species of keelback snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to South Asia.

Etymology

The specific name, helleri, is in honor of American zoologist Edmund Heller.

Geographic range

R. helleri is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hong Kong, Sichuan, Yunnan), India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura), Myanmar, Nepal, and northern Vietnam.

Type locality: Tengyueh, 5500 feet elevation, Province of Yunnan, China, 25°01'N, 98°30'E.

Description

A medium-sized snake, R. helleri may attain a total length (including tail) of 1.3 m (4.3 ft). It has 163–172 ventrals.

Reproduction

R. helleri is oviparous.

Venom

The venom of R. helleri can cause severe coagulopathy, but no human fatalities have been reported.

FeedingEating an Asian common toad

References

  1. ^ Rhabdophis helleri at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 23 December 2018.

Further reading

  • David P, Vogel G (2021). "Taxonomic composition of the Rhabdophis subminiatus (Schlegel, 1837) species complex (Reptilia: Natricidae) with the description of a new species from China". Taprobanica 10 (2): 89–120. (Rhabdophis helleri, pp. 102–105, Figures 5–6).
  • Deuve J (1961). "Liste annotée des serpents du Laos ". Bulletin de la Société des Sciences Naturelles du Laos 1: 5–32. (Rhabdophis subminiatus var. helleri, new combination, p. 14). (in French).
  • Mell R (1931) ("1929"). "List of Chinese Snakes". Lignan Science Journal 8: 199–219. (Natrix subminiata helleri, new combination).
  • Schmidt KP (1925). "New Reptiles and a New Salamander from China". American Museum Novitates (157): 1–5. (Natrix helleri, new species, p. 3).


Taxon identifiers
Rhabdophis helleri


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