Dendrelaphis calligastra

Dendrelaphis calligastra
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Dendrelaphis
Species:	D. calligastra
Binomial name
Dendrelaphis calligastra (Günther, 1867)

Dendrelaphis calligastra, the Northern Tree Snake (also called Beautiful-bellied Tree Snake) is a slender, large-eyed, non-venomous, diurnal snake snake. It grows up to 1.2 m in length and is greenish, brown or greyish above with a cream or yellow belly.^[1]

This common snake is harmless, and readily recognised due to its cream to yellow belly and pronounced wide dark facial stripe passing through the eye.^[2][3]

Etymology

Dendrelaphis: 'tree Elaphe', after another genus of colubrid snake. calligastra: 'beautiful-bellied'.^[4]

Habitat

Northern tree snakes are found in tropical north Queensland, from Paluma to Cooktown and eastern Cape York Peninsula, as well as southern Papua New Guinea. They live in a wide variety of habitats, including: rainforest; urban and farmed regions and open forest. It often basks in the leaf canopy of small bushes and trees and can escape very quickly through the canopy.

Diet

Eats frogs and reptiles.

Distribution

Photo showing distinctive stripe through eye

Dendrelaphis calligastra is common in Queensland's northern tropics and eastern Cape York Peninsula.

Breeding

The Northern Tree Snake lays eggs in clutches from 5 to 7, with one female recorded laying 11 eggs in January.^[5]

Footnotes

1. ^ Queensland Museum (2000), p. 247.
2. ^ Queensland Museum (2000), p. 247.
3. ^ Ehmann (1992), p. 376.
4. ^ [1]
5. ^ Ehmann (1992), p. 376.

References

• Queensland Museum (2000). Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland: Cooktown to Mackay. ISBN 0724293493
• Ehmann (1992). Encyclopedia of Australian Animals: Reptiles. Harald Ehmann. The Australian Museum. Angus & Robertson. ISBN 0207173796 (Reptiles).

External links

• photo, description, distribution map
• photo gallery