Banded Racer | Argyrogena fasciolata Shaw, 1802
Argyrogena
fasciolata commonly called as Banded
racer is a snake species of family colubridae under the
genus Argyrogena. It is a small to medium sized snake having
smooth scales where young ones are blazingly banded while the adults
are unvarying and without having any pattern. Thus it can be easily recognized by just checking
the presence of white bands of zigzag manner bordered with black color over the body in case of juveniles.
Snout in these snakes is curved and prominent where
rostral is large, somewhat broader than wide; suture are between the intranasal
scales; frontal nearly as long as its distance from the end of the snout, or as
the parietals; supra labials 8 - 9; where 4th & 5th are in the contact of
eyes; 5th supra labial in these snakes is larger in area which touches the lower
anterior temporal scale; preocular is one; pre-sub ocular in some specimens may be 1 or absent; Loreal scale
is 1; Postoculars two and temporals 2+2,
2+3 or in some 3+3 also. Lower labials 9/9
and are in connection with the anterior chin-shields; chin-shields of posterior
portion are almost similar in length of the anterior one, disjointed from each
other by 2-3 series of scales.
Scientific
classification
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Kingdom:
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Animalia
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Phylum:
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Chordata
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Class:
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Reptilia
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Order:
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Squamata
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Suborder:
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Serpentes
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Family:
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Colubridae
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Genus:
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Argyrogena
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Species:
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A. fasciolata
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Binomial name
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Argyrogena fasciolata (Shaw,
1802)
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Body of the snakes is long, slender and sheltered
with sub equal smooth dorsal scales (21/ 23/17). Two distinct forms of the
species are found within its range in its life in which juveniles shows the presence
white bands with black color borders over reddish-brown or grayish-brown body. Whereas
adult having reddish-brown or brown color dorsal body with faint bands or without
having any bands. Belly and belly scales (191-233) in these species are of
white or yellowish-white colour in adults and greenish-white in juveniles. Sub
caudal scales (73-92 in number) paired in zigzag manner. Head bearing the pointed
and prominently tapering snout, distinct than neck. In
adults it is pattern less brown in adults; where in juvenile’s greenish or purplish
shade over the top having white, black and brown markings in the form of patches.
Eyes are large eyes have round pupil.
The species is occurring in India, in
Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Dispersed in varied range of forests including
dry deciduous, mixed deciduous, scrub, grasslands, semi-desert and hilly dry
lands. Also found in drier portions of its range such as rocky terrain,
agricultural, gardens, domains having dense vegetation , rodent holes, rock crevices, bushes, under leaf litters and
under the roots of old trees.
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| Juvenile |
It is a diurnal species of snakes which is
capable of climbing also for hunt of prey and shelter. Locomotion is fast in meandering
manner. It is an alert, active and very quick species of snake to react. Under hostile
conditions it prefers to flee where on provocation it expands its fore body and
coils its body with the head above the ground. Feeds keenly on rodents, lizards, insects, bird
and frogs by hunting them .The species is oviparous nature, female lay near
about 7- 10 eggs in some where dark place
like holes, cracks, under rocks from
summer to monsoon months. Mating ritual in these snakes can be observed during monsoon
months to the start of summer.
Characters Of Species Observed In Bhopal, MP
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Characteristics
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Range
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Full body length
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410 mm-1280 mm
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Snout-vent length
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320 mm-1020 mm
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Tail length
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90 mm-220 mm
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**Dorsal scales (A:M:P)
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21:23:15
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Supra-labial scales (4th
& 5th in eye contact)
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8/8
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Infra-labial scales
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9/9
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Ventral scales
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195-210
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Anal scales
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1 (paired)
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Sub-caudal scales
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80-90
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**Note: A- Anterior;
M-Midbody; P-Posterior
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Threats include
the killing of these snakes under misidentification with venomous snakes &
by way of road transport in all parts of its range. Besides, habitat destruction
is also the rising threat for the species as the preferred living habitat of
the species is getting reduced because of severe over-grazing and clearing
of vegetation
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