Rhabdops olivaceus

Rhabdops olivaceus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Rhabdops
Species:
R. olivaceus
Binomial name
Rhabdops olivaceus
(Beddome, 1863)
Synonyms[3]
  • Ablabes olivaceus Beddome, 1863[2]
  • Pseudocyclophis olivaceus (Beddome, 1863)

Rhabdops olivaceus, the olive trapezoid snake or olive forest snake, is a snake endemic to the Western Ghats of India.[1][3][4] Following the description of populations in Goa, northernmost Karnataka, and southern Maharashtra as a new species, Rhabdops aquaticus, the known range of Rhabdops olivaceus is from Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in Kerala north to Kottigehara in Karnataka, and possibly slightly further.[4]

This species is found in damp steamsides within rainforests and is distributed from Palghat in Kerala to the Malanad area of Karnataka. It is a docile, placid snake and is said to be semiaquatic, feeding on small, soft-bodied animals. In habits, it is more frequently seen during the rains, both day or night.

  1. ^ a b Giri, V., Ganesh, S.R. & Narayanan, S. (2021). "Rhabdops olivaceus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T149321599A149321695. Retrieved 20 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Beddome, R.H. (1863). "Further notes upon the snakes of the Madras Presidency; with descriptions of new species". Madras Journal of Medical Science. 6: 41–48.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference RDB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Giri et al. 2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).