Green Vine Snake
Ahaetulla nasuta
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyColubridae (Colubrid Snakes)
- GenusAhaetulla (Asian Longnose Whipsnakes)
- SpeciesAhaetulla nasuta (Green Vine Snake)
About the Green Vine Snake
Ahaetulla nasuta, also known as Sri Lankan green vine snake, long-nosed whip snake, and long-nosed tree snake, is a venomous, slender green tree snake endemic to Sri Lanka. It was previously known as the common green vine snake and was widely distributed across India and South East Asia, until a 2020 study split them into several different species, restricting Ahaetulla nasuta just to the Sri Lankan population.
The genus name Ahaetulla comes from the Sri Lankan Sinhalese words ahaetulla/ahata gulla/as gulla, meaning "eye plucker" or "eye picker", because of the belief that they pluck out the eyes of humans, as first reported by the Portuguese traveler João Ribeiro in 1685. The species name nasuta is Latin for "of the nose", in reference to its elongated snout.
The Sinhala name "Aheatulla" or "eye-plucker" forms the taxonic genus name. In Tamil, it is known as pachai paambu. In Kannada, it is known as Hasiru Haavu. Sinhala: ඇහැටුල්ලා (Pronounced: Aheatulla) Tamil: பச்சை பாம்பு Kannada: ಹಸಿರು ಹಾವು
Marathi: हरणटोळ (Pronounced: Harantol) West Bengal: লাউডগা (Pronounced: Laudoga) In Western internet culture, the vine snake has occasionally been humorously... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Green Vine Snake in Sinharaja Forest Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Sinharaja Forest Reserve
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Ahaetulla pulverulenta
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Sri Lanka Cat Snake
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Split Keelback
Atretium schistosum
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 4 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Green Vine Snake in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Green Vine Snake sighting in Sinharaja Forest Reserve, based on 146 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Green Vine Snake in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?
September has the highest sighting rate for Green Vine Snake in Sinharaja Forest Reserve in our monthly data.