Heller's red-necked keelback (Rhabdophis helleri)

Rhabdophis helleri, also known commonly as Heller’s red-necked keelback, is a venomous species of keelback snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to South Asia.

Etymology

The specific name, helleri, is in honor of American zoologist Edmund Heller.

Geographic range

R. helleri is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hong Kong, Sichuan, Yunnan), India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura), Myanmar, Nepal, and northern Vietnam.

Type locality: Tengyueh, 5500 feet elevation, Province of

Yunnan, China, 25°01'N, 98°30'E.

Description

A medium-sized snake, R. helleri may attain a total length (including tail) of 1.3 m. It has 163–172 ventrals.

Reproduction

R. helleri is oviparous.

Venom

The venom of R. helleri can cause severe coagulopathy, but no human fatalities have been reported.

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Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Rhabdophis
Species: Rhabdophis helleri

Common names

Chinese: 红脖颈槽蛇
German: Heller-Rothals-Wassernatter
English: Heller’s red-necked keelback

Synonyms

Rhabdophis helleri, LIU et al. (2021)
Rhabdophis helleri, Patrick David & Gernot Vogel (2021)
Rhabdophis subminiatus helleri, NGUYEN et al. (2009)
Rhabdophis subminiatus helleri, ZHAO et al. (1986)
Rhabdophis subminiata helleri, Edward Harrison Taylor (1965)
Rhabdophis subminiatus var. helleri, Jean Deuve (1961)
Natrix subminiata helleri, Carl Hialmar Rendahl (1937)
Rhabdophis subminiatus helleri, René Léon Bourret (1935)
Natrix subminiata helleri, R. Mell (1931)
Natrix helleri, Karl Patterson Schmidt (1925)

Thai National Parks

Species of Thailand