Family : COLUBRIDAE
Species: Dendrelaphis nigroserratus
Maximum Size : Up to 156 cm total length.

First described in 2012, the Sawtooth-necked Bronzeback occurs in hill evergreen forest between 900 and 1350 metres above sea level (i.e. lower montane forest). It is recorded as being locally common, particularly near forest streams and stands of bamboo, but is absent from areas where the forest has been cut down.

The specimen shown here was found at Kaeng Krachan National Park in southern Thailand : it was busy consuming a Wallace's Flying Frog Rhacophorus nigropalmatus.

In the field, the species is best identified by a thick black stripe behind the eye, which extends onto the neck as a Sawtooth pattern of black, oblique bars.

The cheeks are pale yellow, and the eyes are moderately large.

Its body colour is olive-brown, patterned with broken, irregular pale yellow bands every few centimetres.

The vertebral scale row comprises greatly enlarged, smooth, hexagonal scales which are lighter brown than the flanks. Other scale rows are smooth and oblique in shape, in typical Dendrelaphis style.

This is a relatively large species of Dendrelaphis, measuring up to 156 cm.

This species occurs in western and southern parts of Thailand, and southern parts of neighbouring Myanmar.

Fig 1 : The body is brown with numerous narrow, irregular yellow bands.

Fig 2 : Consuming a Wallace's Flying Frog Rhacophorus nigropalmatus.

Fig 3 : Dorsal view showing the dark grey neck region, and the olive brown to brown enlarged vertebral scales.

All photos thanks to Horst Flotow


References :

Vogel, Gernot; Johan Van Rooijen & Sjon Hauser 2012. A new species of Dendrelaphis Boulenger, 1890 (Squamata: Colubridae) from Thailand and Myanmar. Zootaxa 3392: 35–46.