Dendrelaphis cyanochloris

Wall's bronzeback
	Dendrelaphis cyanochloris
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Subfamily:	Ahaetuliinae
Genus:	Dendrelaphis
Species:	D. cyanochloris
Binomial name
	Dendrelaphis cyanochloris; (Wall, 1921)
Synonyms
	Dendrophis pictus Wall, 1921; Ahaetulla cyanochloris Wall, 1921; Dendrophis boiga subspecies cyanochloris Wall, 1921; Dendrophis pictus subspecies cyanochlorisWall, 1921;

Dendrelaphis cyanochloris, commonly known as Wall's bronzeback or the blue bronzeback, is a species of colubrid snake found in Southeast Asia.

Taxonomy

Dendrelaphis cyanochloris belongs to the genus Dendrelaphis, which contains 48 other described species.^[2] D. cyanochloris is most closely related to Dendrelaphis ngansonensis, and together the two might form a species complex.^[3]

Dendrelaphis is one of five genera belonging to the vine snake subfamily Ahaetuliinae, of which Dendrelaphis is most closely related to Chrysopelea, as shown in the cladogram below:^[4]

Ahaetuliinae

sharp‑nosed snakes

	Ahaetulla

	Proahaetulla

Dryophiops

broad‑nosed snakes

Dendrelaphis

	Dendrelaphis marenae

	Dendrelaphis haasi

Dendrelaphis pictus

	Dendrelaphis ngansonensis

	Dendrelaphis cyanochloris

Dendrelaphis striatus

Dendrelaphis formosus

	Dendrelaphis tristis

	Dendrelaphis subocularis

Dendrelaphis schokari

	Dendrelaphis fuliginosus

	Dendrelaphis caudolineatus

Chrysopelea

Distribution

The species occurs in India (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh (Namdapha - Changlang district); Andaman Islands, northern parts of West Bengal), Bangladesh, Myanmar, southern Thailand, and western Malaysia (Pulau Pinang, Pahang, Pulau Tioman), possibly also in Bhutan. It is predominantly arboreal and inhabits primary and mature secondary lowland rainforest, at altitudes of up to 1,000 m.^[1]^[3]

Behavior

closeup of dorsal scales

Like other bronzebacks, this snake is diurnal and fully arboreal, and has oviparous reproduction.^[3]

Conservation

Common and widespread, Wall's bronzeback is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, although it is likely impacted by localized habitat loss and degradation from agricultural expansion and logging.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Richman, N.; Böhm, M. (2010). "Dendrelaphis cyanochloris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T176783A7303949. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T176783A7303949.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
^ Genus Dendrelaphis at The Reptile Database.
^ ^a ^b ^c Dendrelaphis cyanochloris at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 28 July 2022.
^ Mallik, Ashok Kumar; Achyuthan, N. Srikanthan; Ganesh, Sumaithangi R.; Pal, Saunak P.; Vijayakumar, S. P.; Shanker, Kartik (27 July 2019). "Discovery of a deeply divergent new lineage of vine snake (Colubridae: Ahaetuliinae: Proahaetulla gen. nov.) from the southern Western Ghats of Peninsular India with a revised key for Ahaetuliinae". PLOS ONE. 14 (7): e0218851. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1418851M. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0218851. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6636718. PMID 31314800.