Kapuas mud snake

Kapuas mud snake
Kapuas Mud Snake
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Homalopsinae
Genus: Enhydris
Species: E. gyii
Binomial name
Enhydris gyii
Murphy, Voris & Auliya, 2005

The Kapuas mud snake (Enhydris gyii) is a native Borneo species of snakes that can change its epidermal color spontaneously.[1] Named after the Kapuas River, the snake's chameleon-like behaviour was discovered in 2005 accidentally when a specimen was put in a dark bucket. The snake's skin turned pale white 20 minutes later.[2] Scientists determined the snake as a new species belongs to the Enhydris genus. Like all Homalopsinae, the 30 inches (76 cm) long snake is mildly venomous (rear-fanged) and viviparous.

References

  1. ^ John C. Murphy; Harold K. Voris; Mark Auliya (31 Dec 2005). "A new species of Enhydris (Serpentes: Colubridae: Homalopsinae) from the Kapuas river system, West Kalimantan, Indonesia". The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 53 (2): 271–275. http://www.fieldmuseum.org/research_Collections/zoology/pdf/murphy_voris_auliya_2005.pdf. Retrieved 2006-06-27. 
  2. ^ "Snake displays changing colours". BBC News. 26 June 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5118778.stm. Retrieved 2007-01-09. 

External links


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