Ptyas carinata

Keeled Rat Snake
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Ptyas
Species:
P. carinatus
Binomial name
Ptyas carinatus
(Günther, 1858)
Synonyms
  • Zaocys (Zapyrus) carinatus - Boettger 1887
  • Zaocys tenasserimensis - Sclater 1891
  • Zaocys carinatus — Boulenger 1893
  • Ptyas carinatus — Wall 1923
  • Zaocys carinatus — M.A. Smith 1943
  • Zaocys carinatus — Grandison 1978
  • Ptyas carinatus — David & Vogel 1996
  • Zaocys carinatus — Manthey & Grossmann 1997
  • Ptyas carinatus — Cox et al. 1998
  • Zaocys carinatus — Grismer et al. 2002
  • Zaocys carinatus — Rooijen & Rooijen 2002
  • Ptyas carinatus — Malkmus et al. 2002
  • Ptyas carinata — David & Das 2004

Ptyas carinata, commonly known as the keeled rat snake,[2][3] is a species of colubrid snake. It is found in Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, India, Vietnam, Laos and Singapore.[4] This little known species is probably the largest extant species in the diverse colubrid family that includes just over half of living snake species. Known adult lengths of snakes of this species in Taiwan measured anywhere from 1.21 to 2.75 m (4 ft 0 in to 9 ft 0 in).[5] However, the reportedly maximum size was about 4 m (13 ft 1 in).[6] Males reportedly average slightly larger than females.[7] They are probably opportunistic predators on a variety of prey, such as rodents, though adult lizards are thought to be significant prey in Indonesia.[8]

  1. ^ Wogan, G.; Chan-Ard, T.; Nguyen, T.Q.; Diesmos, A.C. & Auliya, M. (2012). "Ptyas carinata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T177503A1489928. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T177503A1489928.en.
  2. ^ "Ptyas carinata (Günther, 1858)". ubio.org. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  3. ^ "Ptyas carinata". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  4. ^ Ptyas carinata at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 13 August 2014.
  5. ^ Wang, C. & Wang, J.H.M. (1956). "The Reptiles of Taiwan". J. Taiwan Mus. 9.
  6. ^ Das, I. (2015). A Field Guide to the Reptiles of South-East Asia. Bloomsbury Publishing.
  7. ^ Taub, A. M. (1967). "Comparative histological studies on Duvernoy's gland of colubrid snakes". Bulletin of the AMNH; v. 138, article 1.
  8. ^ Huang, W. (2003). Reptile Ecology and the Evolution of Parental Care on a Tropical Asian Island (Ph.D.). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University. hdl:2027/coo.31924100222748. OCLC 1432636508. NO000001524.