Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
User avatar
fickle-minder
Posts: 100
Joined: July 17th, 2012, 5:47 am
Location: Singapore

Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by fickle-minder »

Image

Image
User avatar
Rags
Posts: 384
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:30 pm
Location: U.K.

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by Rags »

Nice snakes - where did you manage to photograph these?
User avatar
Hans Breuer (twoton)
Posts: 3230
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 3:19 am
Location: Kuching, Sarawak (Borneo)
Contact:

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

cool...what's the Big-eye's scientific name?
User avatar
fickle-minder
Posts: 100
Joined: July 17th, 2012, 5:47 am
Location: Singapore

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by fickle-minder »

Thank you for the comments!The oriental is a very common snake in Singapore,the individual in this shot was found perched on a low shrub at the side of a very busy road.the scientific name for the big eyed green whip snake is Ahaetulla mycterizans It is rather common in primary rain-forests.But they are very well camouflaged so your best chances of spotting one is by scrutising every single sapling on the trails:lol:.Both species are very docile, although mildly venomous.
User avatar
Hans Breuer (twoton)
Posts: 3230
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 3:19 am
Location: Kuching, Sarawak (Borneo)
Contact:

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

Thanks! Had no idea mycterizans existed! You live in Singapore?
User avatar
fickle-minder
Posts: 100
Joined: July 17th, 2012, 5:47 am
Location: Singapore

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by fickle-minder »

Yup!
User avatar
Hans Breuer (twoton)
Posts: 3230
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 3:19 am
Location: Kuching, Sarawak (Borneo)
Contact:

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

I picked this prasina off a twig (using the method you describe :-)) last Friday night. They sure are pretty....

Image
User avatar
Robyn@TRR
Posts: 72
Joined: May 11th, 2012, 5:50 pm

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by Robyn@TRR »

Beautiful pics!
User avatar
fickle-minder
Posts: 100
Joined: July 17th, 2012, 5:47 am
Location: Singapore

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by fickle-minder »

Hans Breuer (twoton) wrote:I picked this prasina off a twig (using the method you describe :-)) last Friday night. They sure are pretty....

Image
Excellent work!
User avatar
Hans Breuer (twoton)
Posts: 3230
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 3:19 am
Location: Kuching, Sarawak (Borneo)
Contact:

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

Thank you! They're easy to photograph, though, as long as YOU can hold (the camera) still :-)
User avatar
chrish
Posts: 3295
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:14 pm
Location: San Antonio, TX
Contact:

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by chrish »

fickle-minder wrote:Thank you for the comments!The oriental is a very common snake in Singapore,the individual in this shot was found perched on a low shrub at the side of a very busy road.the scientific name for the big eyed green whip snake is Ahaetulla mycterizans It is rather common in primary rain-forests.But they are very well camouflaged so your best chances of spotting one is by scrutising every single sapling on the trails:lol:.Both species are very docile, although mildly venomous.
When I used to herp around Jakarta, it took me a while to learn that. I used to bemoan the paucity of snakes I would find, until I started carefully scanning roadside bushes/hedges for Ahaetulla. Turned out I could find at least one an hour if I was patient. The brown ones were the tough ones (sorry, don't know which species they were :( ).

Just like searching for Opheodrys aestivus here in the US, I found it was easier to spot them at night.

Those mycterizans look like cool snakes. Now that I have more field expertise and that field guides are available, I wish I had access to all the cool places I had visited in Indonesia in my "youth".
User avatar
Rags
Posts: 384
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 12:30 pm
Location: U.K.

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by Rags »

Definitely easier to spot with a torch at night.

Image
Long-nosed Whip Snake - (Ahaetulla nasuta) in Thailand.

Image
Same snake by day.

and a brown one,

Image
Oriental Whip Snake - (Ahaetulla prasina), Malaysia.

I have never been able to find mycterizans - so good spot fickle-minder. Do you have - (does anyone have) shots of Ahaetulla fasciolata? Another beauty from your part of the world.
User avatar
fickle-minder
Posts: 100
Joined: July 17th, 2012, 5:47 am
Location: Singapore

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by fickle-minder »

Awsome catch!I have never seen the brown form yet.Still looking.... :lol:
User avatar
fickle-minder
Posts: 100
Joined: July 17th, 2012, 5:47 am
Location: Singapore

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by fickle-minder »

Two days ago,I've encountered this brown oriental whip snake,with weird speckles on the head!Much like the Ahaetulla fasciolata!I'm really confused now as Ahaetulla fasciolata has not been recorded in Singapore yet!I'm a little confused now! :crazyeyes: can anyone help me?
Image
DavidG
Posts: 136
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 2:17 am

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by DavidG »

First off all, awesome snakes.

More importantly, Fickle-minder, holy cr@p, that brown one sure does look a lot like a fasciolata (all the distinct markings, seems to be more like a fasciolata but who knows)?!?!?! Where did you find it? Maybe that can help determine in a way its id???? I know there is supposed to be a small population of fasciolata in the bukit timah nature reserve according to singapore red data book. That would be an awesome find!

Sorry btw I havent contacted you about local herping, university is more time consuming than expected lol

Also, a. prasina is common, but i actually find that a. mycterizans is pretty much even more abundant in our nature reserves if you know its microhabitat and behaviour. In fact, a. mycterizans here is about as common as mabuya rufigera (also listed as vulnerable or rare or something) and the five banded flying dragon. Just gotta know how to find them ;)
Obediah2
Posts: 8
Joined: August 5th, 2012, 3:38 pm
Location: Belton, TX

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by Obediah2 »

Awesome pictures of incredible snakes!
User avatar
moloch
Posts: 561
Joined: June 16th, 2010, 1:26 pm

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by moloch »

Excellent shots of a beautiful snake.

Regards,
David
User avatar
Kelly Mc
Posts: 4529
Joined: October 18th, 2011, 1:03 pm

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by Kelly Mc »

These would be exquisite silk screen subjects - like cranes. But I rarely see snakes depicted.

Your photography and their perfection are the great art.
Thank you Fickleminder :D
User avatar
Scott Waters
Site Admin
Posts: 692
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 4:08 am
Contact:

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by Scott Waters »

User avatar
Schmike
Posts: 50
Joined: October 1st, 2012, 1:57 am
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by Schmike »

Scott Waters wrote:http://www.herpnation.com/hn-gallery/bi ... cterizans/

What a great shot!

thanks,
scott
That shot should be the Oriental instead. The second shot is the Big-eyed. Note the difference in the darker color of the iris, shorter head, bigger eye and the white belly of the Big-eyed.
User avatar
Schmike
Posts: 50
Joined: October 1st, 2012, 1:57 am
Location: Singapore
Contact:

Re: Oriental and Big Eyed Whip Snake

Post by Schmike »

There are possible hybrids of the 2 species spotted too.
Post Reply