Dolichophis schmidti, known commonly as the red-bellied racer and Schmidt's whip snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Western Asia.
| Dolichophis schmidti | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Dolichophis |
| Species: | D. schmidti
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| Binomial name | |
| Dolichophis schmidti (Nikolsky, 1909)
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| Synonyms[2] | |
Geographic range edit
D. schmidti is found in the Caucasus and the Middle East, from Dagestan to Turkmenistan and south into Syria, Jordan, and northern Iran.[1][2]
Habitat edit
D. schmidti occurs in a wide variety of habitats including rocky, stony and bushy river banks, deserts, semi-deserts, rocky outcrops, hillsides, montane steppe, cultivated fields, gardens, vineyards and other rural areas, from sea level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft). It can occur close to human habitation and tolerates human disturbance.[1]
Diet edit
D. schmidti is often observed near to large colonies of rodents on which it preys. It also preys on lizards, birds, and snakes.[1]
Reproduction edit
Adult females of D. schmidti lay clutches of between 5 and 11 eggs.[1]
Etymology edit
The specific name, schmidti, is in honor of Russian ichthyologist Petr Yulevich Schmidt.[3]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Tok, V.; Ugurtas, I.H.; Sevinç, M.; Böhme, W.; Crochet, P.-A.; Kaya, U.; Borkin, L.; Milto, K.; Golynsky, E.; Rustamov, A; Nuridjanov, D.; Munkhbayar, K.; Shestapol, A. (2017). "Dolichophis schmidti ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T164595A92254626. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T164595A92254626.en.
- ^ a b Species Dolichophis schmidti at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Dolichophis schmidti, p. 236).
Further reading edit
- Nikolsky AM (1909). "[Novae species reptiliem e Caucaso]". Tiflis Mitteilungen Kaukasische Museum 4: 301–306. (Coluber schmidti, new species, pp. 303–306). (in Latin and Russian).
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