Dendrelaphis calligastra, the Northern Tree Snake (also called Beautiful-bellied Tree Snake) is a slender, large-eyed, non-venomous, diurnal 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]
Contents |
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
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
References
- Queensland Museum (2000). Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland: Cooktown to Mackay. ISBN 0-7242-9349-3
- Ehmann (1992). Encyclopedia of Australian Animals: Reptiles. Harald Ehmann. The Australian Museum. Angus & Robertson. ISBN 0-207-17379-6 (Reptiles).
