Elaphe taeniura friesi
Taiwan Beauty Snake
黑 眉錦蛇
保育等級:保育類(第三級)
無毒
家族
最大體長
270 cm
台灣棲地分布
分布於全台灣海拔2000公尺以下區域。不常見。
世界棲地分布
黑眉錦蛇為台灣特有亞種,僅分布在台灣當地。
外觀描述
Large snake; total length up to 280 cm. There are 17-25 (25 at mid-body) rows of scales, which are feebly keeled except those on the flanks. Head is roughly triangular; body is moderately heavy or robust; tail is long. Eye is medium to large; iris is olive gray to dirty yellow, darkened by fine diffuse black pigment, and a broad gray black to black horizontal band runs across eye and appears as continuation of prominent dark band behind eye; pupil is round, jet black with ring of dull yellow. Tongue is large, with black to blue-black stem which is darker than fork tips. Upper head is olive yellow to dark olive gray and may be tinged with brown; the labials are lighter. There is a prominent black band extending from eye near to corner of mouth. The general color of the upper body is olive yellow to yellow gray tinged with varying shades of green and black. In the anterior two-thirds of body, there are two dorsal rows of black blotches and two on the flanks. On the posterior body, the designs turn into a broad median stripe of olive yellow and two lateral series of broad dark (which appear as two intact lateral stripes in tail), beneath which there are two light yellow to yellow stripes. Ventral head and neck are white to cream. The other areas of the ventral body and tail are yellow, with few small irregular gray or gray black designs anteriorly followed by more numerous and progressively darker designs posteriorly. Most designs occur in outer quarter or third of the ventrals and form a pair of longitudinal bands in posterior third of body and in tail. Anal scale is divided and subcaudals are paired.
生態描述
黑眉錦蛇為台灣第二大的蛇。在日間與夜間都會出來活動,草原、森林、山區的低地,以及周圍的民宅都可能發現其蹤影。牠以獵捕蛙類,鳥類,鳥蛋和老鼠為生。每年五月為牠的交配季節,母蛇在夏季會產下2~13枚蛇卵,每枚蛇卵長寬約為5x3公分,剛孵化的仔蛇約長40cm,黑眉錦蛇行動非常敏捷,就算是在灌木叢中移動也可以媲美牠在空地上移動的速度。牠生性溫馴且適應力強,非常適合人為飼養。當初次受到圈養,牠們可能會表現防衛性的態度並發出低沉的嘶聲。
學名與俗名
"Elaphe 源自希臘語 elaphos 意思是 "stag(單身)"。 遺憾的是 Leopold Fitzinger (1833) 並沒有留下他命名的原因。 一個可能的原因是,因為臭青公頭頂有著類似鹿角形狀的圖案,與 四線錦蛇 Elaphe quatuorlineata sauromates 的花紋相似,除此之外還有其他類似的種類" (Source)
taeniura 來自希臘文 taenia = 帶狀的、彩帶 再組合上 oura = 尾巴, 意指此蛇尾部有帶狀縱斑。
黑眉錦蛇、錦蛇、黃長蟲、家蛇。
翻譯:周信甫