Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The Indian vine snake or long-nosed vine snake (Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha) is a species of diurnal, mildly venomous, arboreal snake distributed in the lowlands of peninsular India.Often mistakenly believed to peck out peoples' eyes, this misconception has led to widespread wanton killing of this species.
A thin and slender-bodied snake that is usually bright grassy green in colour. A pair of white lines extend throughout its body length demarcating the back and under belly parts. Adults reach over 5 feet (1.5 m) in length. They have unique horizontal pupil in the eye. Formerly misclassified as A. nasuta, A. oxyrhyncha is actually a much larger-bodied species that also has a much longer snout. Indian green vine snakes (genus Ahaetulla) are strongly arboreal, meaning they live in trees and bushes, using their slender bodies and camouflage to mimic branches for hunting lizards and frogs and avoiding predators. They are diurnal (active during the day) and rely on their perfect camouflage and binocular vision for hunting in foliage.
In Telugu, it is known as pasarika pamu This species is distributed throughout the drier plains... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha sighting in Chennai on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 16th most-seen of the 22 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha in Chennai on a given day, against under 5% in January–June and November, the lowest months.
Among the best
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha sightings, Chennai ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Bengaluru (India, about 10%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha that you can see in Chennai (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Chequered Keelback (about 20%), Dhaman (about 10%) and Buff Striped Keelback (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ahaetulla oxyrhyncha is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Chennai (14 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
