Kapuas mud snake
| Kapuas mud snake | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Homalopsinae |
| Genus: | Enhydris |
| Species: | E. gyii |
| Binomial name | |
| Enhydris gyii Murphy, Voris & Auliya, 2005 | |
The Kapuas mud snake (Enhydris gyii ) is a species of snake, native to Borneo, that can change its epidermal colour spontaneously.[1]
Etymology
The common name, Kapuas mud snake, refers to the Kapuas River. The specific name, gyii, is in honor of Burmese herpetologist Ko Ko Gyi.[2]
Colour change
The snake's chameleon-like behaviour was discovered accidentally in 2005 when a specimen was put in a dark bucket. The snake's skin turned pale white 20 minutes later.[3] Scientists determined the snake to be a new species belonging to the genus Enhydris.
Description
Like all members of the subfamily Homalopsinae, the 60 inches (150 cm) long snake is mildly venomous, rear-fanged, and viviparous.
References
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Wikinews has related news: Chameleon snake discovered in Borneo |
- ↑ Murphy, John C.; Harold K. Voris; Mark Auliya (31 Dec 2005). "A new species of Enhydris (Serpentes: Colubridae: Homalopsinae) from the Kapuas river system, West Kalimantan, Indonesia" (PDF). The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. 53 (2): 271–275. Retrieved 2006-06-27.
- ↑ Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins; Michael Grayson. (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Enhydris gyii, p. 112).
- ↑ "Snake displays changing colours". BBC News. 26 June 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-09.
External links
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Wikispecies has information related to: Enhydris gyii |
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