Boiga forsteni
Encyclopedia
Forsten's cat snake is a species of rear-fanged colubrid
found in Nepal
, Sri Lanka
, and India
(Sikkim
, Maharashtra
, Kerala
). The specific name is in honor of Dutch naturalist Eltio Alagondas Forsten (1811–1843).
The anterior palatine and mandibular teeth are considerably larger than the others. The eye is about as long as its distance from the nostril.
The rostral scale is broader than it is deep and the internasals
are much shorter than the prefrontals
. The frontal is nearly as long as its distance from the end of the snout, which is shorter than the parietal scales. The loreal is square or deeper than it is long. There is one preocular scale
, extending to the upper surface of the head, and two or three postoculars
. The temporal scales
are very small and numerous. There are eight to eleven upper labials
, with the third, fourth and fifth, or the fourth fifth and sixth entering the eye. There are three or four lower labials, in contact with the anterior chin shields, which are about as long as the posterior. The ventral scales
are 259 to 270, the anal
entire and the subcaudal
s 106 to 131.
The body is compressed, with the scales in 25 or 27 rows, disposed obliquely, and the vertebral row is feebly enlarged. It is brown above, with more or less regular angular black crossbars, with or without white spots between them. There is a black band from the frontal shield to the nape and another on each side behind the eye. The lower parts are white, uniform or spotted with brown. The total length is four feet and ten inches (254 mm), and the tail is one foot long.
Colubrid
A colubrid is a member of the snake family Colubridae. This broad classification of snakes includes about two-thirds of all snake species on earth. The earliest species of the snake family date back to the Oligocene epoch. With 304 genera and 1,938 species, Colubridae is the largest snake family...
found in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
). The specific name is in honor of Dutch naturalist Eltio Alagondas Forsten (1811–1843).
Description
- See snake scalesSnake scalesSnakes, like other reptiles, have a skin covered in scales. Snakes are entirely covered with scales or scutes of various shapes and sizes. Scales protect the body of the snake, aid it in locomotion, allow moisture to be retained within, alter the surface characteristics such as roughness to aid in...
for terms used
The anterior palatine and mandibular teeth are considerably larger than the others. The eye is about as long as its distance from the nostril.
The rostral scale is broader than it is deep and the internasals
Internasal scales
In snakes, the internasal scales are those on top of the head between the scales that surround the nostrils. They are usually paired and situated just behind the rostral....
are much shorter than the prefrontals
Prefrontal scales
The prefrontal scales on snakes and other reptiles are the scales connected to the frontals towards the tip of the snout which are in contact with the internasals....
. The frontal is nearly as long as its distance from the end of the snout, which is shorter than the parietal scales. The loreal is square or deeper than it is long. There is one preocular scale
Ocular scales
In scaled reptiles, the ocular scales are those forming the margin of the eye. The name originates from the term oculus which is Latin for "eye" and, in the broadest sense, refers to a scale associated with the eye...
, extending to the upper surface of the head, and two or three postoculars
Ocular scales
In scaled reptiles, the ocular scales are those forming the margin of the eye. The name originates from the term oculus which is Latin for "eye" and, in the broadest sense, refers to a scale associated with the eye...
. The temporal scales
Temporal scales
In reptiles, the temporal scales are those scales on the side of the head between the parietal scales and the supralabial scales, and behind the postocular scales.There are two types of temporal scales:...
are very small and numerous. There are eight to eleven upper labials
Supralabial scales
In reptiles, the supralabial scales, also called upper-labials, are those scales that border the mouth opening along the upper jaw. They do not include the median scale . The term labial originates from Labium , which refers to any lip-like structure...
, with the third, fourth and fifth, or the fourth fifth and sixth entering the eye. There are three or four lower labials, in contact with the anterior chin shields, which are about as long as the posterior. The ventral scales
Ventral scales
In snakes, the ventral scales are the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down the underside of the body from the neck to the anal scale. When counting them, the first is the anteriormost ventral scale that contacts the paraventral row of dorsal scales on either side...
are 259 to 270, the anal
Anal scale
In snakes, the anal scale is the scale just in front of and covering the cloacal opening. This scale can be either single or paired . When paired, the division is oblique. It is preceded by the ventral scales and followed by the subcaudal scales....
entire and the subcaudal
Subcaudal scales
In snakes, the subcaudal scales are the enlarged plates on the underside of the tail. These scales may be either single or divided and are preceded by the anal scale....
s 106 to 131.
The body is compressed, with the scales in 25 or 27 rows, disposed obliquely, and the vertebral row is feebly enlarged. It is brown above, with more or less regular angular black crossbars, with or without white spots between them. There is a black band from the frontal shield to the nape and another on each side behind the eye. The lower parts are white, uniform or spotted with brown. The total length is four feet and ten inches (254 mm), and the tail is one foot long.
External links
- http://itgmv1.fzk.de/www/itg/uetz/herp/photos/Boiga_forsteni.jpg
- http://itgmv1.fzk.de/www/itg/uetz/herp/photos/Boiga_forsteni2.jpg
- http://itgmv1.fzk.de/www/itg/uetz/herp/photos/Boiga_forsteni3.jpg