Dendrelaphis biloreatus

Dendrelaphis biloreatus (often called Gore's bronzeback or referred to as the Himalayan bronzeback) is a species of tree snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Asia.

Dendrelaphis biloreatus
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Subfamily:	Ahaetuliinae
Genus:	Dendrelaphis
Species:	D. biloreatus
Binomial name
Dendrelaphis biloreatus Wall, 1908[2]
Synonyms[3]
Dendrelaphis biloreatus Wall, 1908 Dendrophis gorei Wall, 1910[4] Ahaetulla gorei — M.A. Smith, 1943 Dendrelaphis gorei — Das, 1996 Dendrelaphis biloreatus — Wallach et al., 2014

Geographic range

D. biloreatus can be found in parts of Northeast India (Darjeeling, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh), northern Myanmar, and Western China (Tibet); it is also reported from Vietnam.^[1][3][a]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of D. biloreatus are forest and shrubland, but it has also been found in agricultural areas.^[1]

Description

D. biloreatus is highly variable, typically non-venomous (some have enlarged rear fangs and toxic saliva) with large, regular scales on the head.

Behavior

D. biloreatus is diurnal and fully arboreal.^[3]

Reproduction

D. biloreatus is oviparous.^[3]

Taxonomy

Dendrelaphis biloreatus was originally described by Wall in 1908 as a species new to science. In 1910 Wall described another new species, Dendrelaphis gorei. In 1943 M.A. Smith determined that Dendrelaphis biloreatus and Dendrophis gorei are the same species, which he placed in the genus Ahaetulla, as Ahaetulla gorei. Since then, this species has been referred to as both Dendrelaphis biloreatus and Dendrelaphis gorei. By precedence Dendrelaphis biloreatus is the correct scientific name, and Dendrelaphis gorei is a junior synonym.

Etymology

The junior synonym Dendrelaphis gorei was named in honor of British army officer St. George Corbet Gore.^[5]