Biology:Xenelaphis ellipsifer

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Short description: Species of snake

Xenelaphis ellipsifer
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Xenelaphis
Species:
X. ellipsifer
Binomial name
Xenelaphis ellipsifer

Xenelaphis ellipsifer, the ornate brown snake,[2] or ocellated brown snake,[3] is a large species of snake, up to 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) long,[4] which is found in Malaysia and Indonesia.[1] It has a rounded snout, its head is distinct from its neck,[4] and it has protruding large round eyes.[2] The top of the snake (the dorsum) is orange-red in color, and along the sides of its body are large black-edged squarish brown blotches separated by cream colored spaces.[4] It has a yellow upper lip.[5] X. ellipsifer is an aquatic species, found in forests at 800–1,000 m (2,600–3,300 ft) above sea level.[4]

The first description of this snake was published in 1900 by George Albert Boulenger, who found a single specimen in a fish trap above the Sarawak River in Malaysia.[2] This snake became the type specimen of the species, and is held at the British Museum in London.[2] Although this is a rare snake which has been described in few published reports, it is classified on the IUCN Red List as a species of least concern, since it is widely distributed in protected areas, and is therefore not under threat.[1]

References

Wikidata ☰ Q3570866 entry