Platyceps najadum

Platyceps najadum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Colubrinae
Genus: Platyceps
Species: P. najadum
Binomial name
Platyceps najadum
(Eichwald, 1831)
Synonyms
  • Tyria najadum Eichwald, 1831
  • Coluber najadum
    K.P. Schmidt, 1939
  • Platyceps najadum
    — Schätti & Monsch, 2004[2]

Platyceps najadum, known commonly as Dahl's whip snake, is a species of snake in the genus Platyceps of the family Colubridae. It was first described by Karl Eichwald in 1831.[1]

Geographic range

Platyceps najadum is found in the Balkans, Aegean, Cyprus, the Mid-East, and as far as Turkmenistan and the Caucasus Mountains.[3]

Habitat

P. najadum occurs in dry and xeric environments in a wide range of habitats: in desert and rocky land, in forests, woodland scrub, and agricultural land from sea level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) altitude. It is commonly found in fields, and seen crushed on roads.

Description

It has a slim body rarely over a metre (39 inches) in total length (including tail).[4]

Conservation status

This snake is threatened by direct persecution, forest fires and intensive agriculture, where range interacts with human interests.[1]

Biology

P. najadum is an egg laying species. Females lay between 3 and 16 eggs in a clutch.[1]

Subspecies

Five[1] or six[2] subspecies are identified.

Etymology

Both the subspecific name, dahlii, and the common name, Dahl's whip snake, are in honor of Swedish botanist Anders Dahl.[5]

Indigenous names

Σαϊτα (Greek), Saita.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Lymberakis P, Ajtic R, Tok V, Ugurtas IH, Sevinç M, Crochet P-A, Mousa Disi AM, Hraoui-Bloquet S, Sadek R, Haxhiu I, Böhme W, Agasyan A, Tuniyev B, Ananjeva N, Orlov N. (2009). "Platyceps najadum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 2014-10-14.
  2. 1 2 "Platyceps najadum ". The Reptile Database. http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Platyceps&species=najadum&search_param=%28%28search%3D%27Platyceps+najadum%27%29%29
  3. "Platyceps najadum ". French language Wikipédia.
  4. http://wildlife-archipelago.gr/wordpress/reptiles/dahls-whip-snake
  5. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Platyceps najadum dahlii, p. 64).

Further reading

External links


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