Archelaphe

Archelaphe is a genus of snake in the family Colubridae. The genus contains the sole species Archelaphe bella, commonly known as the Bella rat snake, which is endemic to Asia.^[3]

Archelaphe
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Subfamily:	Colubrinae
Genus:	Archelaphe Schulz, Böhme [de] & Tillack, 2011
Species:	A. bella
Binomial name
Archelaphe bella (Stanley, 1917)
Synonyms[2]
Coluber leonardi Wall, 1921 Coronella bella Stanley, 1917 Elaphe leonardi (Wall, 1921) Elaphe leonardi subsp. chapaensis Bourret, 1934 Elaphe leonardi subsp. leonardi Wall, 1921 Maculophis bella (Stanley, 1917) Maculophis bella subsp. chapaensis (Bourret, 1934)

Geographic range

A. bella is found in China, India, Myanmar, and Vietnam.^[3]

Description

The dorsal pattern of A. bella resembles that of the North American corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus).^[3] The longest specimen of A. bella measured by M.A. Smith (1943) was a male with a total length of 81 cm (32 in) which included a tail 12.5 cm (4.9 in) long.

Reproduction

A. bella is oviparous.^[3]

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.^[3]

• Archelaphe bella bella (Stanley, 1917)
• Archelaphe bella chapaensis (Bourret, 1934)

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Archelaphe.