CLASSIFICATION OF PTYAS : RAT SNAKE
PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present )
Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium with brain present )
Sub-phylum :- VERTEBRATA ( vertebral column present)
Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present )
Super class :- TETRAPODA ( Paired limbs, lungs, bony skeleton and cornified skin)
Class :- REPTILIA ( Scaly vertebrates with right and left aortic arches. Single condyle, pulmonary respiration. Embryo with amnion and allantois ).
Sub-class :- DIAPSIDA ( Skull with two temporal openings separated by postorbital and squamosal ).
Order :- SQUAMATA ( Lizards and snakes with horny epidermal scales or shields. Quadrate bone movable. Vertebrae procoelous. Anal opening transverse).
Sub-order :- OPHIDIA ( Snakes. Limbs, feet, ear openings sternum and urinary bladder absent. Mandibles jointed anteriorly by ligament. Tongue slender, bifid and protrusible. Left lung reduced).
Family :- COLUBRIDAE ( Facial bones movable. No fang ).
Genus :- PTYAS : Rat Snake
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Ptyas : Rat Snake is found all over India, Sri Lanka, Africa and Asia, Myanmar, Java, Europe. North and Central America.
HABIT AND HABITAT
Ptyas : Rat Snake feeds on frogs, toads, mammals, even snakes and lizards. it can climb on trees and it is Oviparous.
GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF PTYAS : RAT SNAKE
- Commonly called as Rat Snake. It attacks forcibly like a whip and hence it is also called as rope snake.
- Body is elongated with dirty with yellow colour measuring about 3 metres in length and covered with 16-17 rows of slightly keeled scales. Body divided into head, neck, trunk and tail.
- Body contains mid dorsal ridge. Ventral side contains broad ventral shield.
- Head large head shield differentiated from neck and contains slit-like mouth, eyes, nostrils and a bifid tongue.
- It is non-poisonous and active snake.
Loreal region is concave having pre subocular, nasals and nostrils and supra ocular forming a ridge on eye.
Special features
Rat Snake bites viciously and coils around the victim firmly by its prehensile tail. it emits foul odour and secretes black secretion from the anal glands.
Identification
Since this snake contains ridge in eye and above features, hence it is Ptyas ( Rat Snake ).
