Hensel's snake

{{Short description|Species of snake}} {{Speciesbox | image = | status = VU | status_system=IUCN3.1 | status_ref=<ref name=iucn>Silveira AL, Prudente AL da C, Argôlo AJS, Abrahão CR, Nogueira C de C, Barbo FE, Costa GC, Pontes GMF, Colli GR, Zaher H el D, Borges-Martins M, Martins MRC, Oliveira ME, Passos PGH, Bérnils RS, Sawaya RJ, Cechin CTZ, Guedes da Costa TB (2021). [https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15177312/123740558 ''Ditaxodon taeniatus'']. In: IUCN 2020. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022.2.</ref> | parent_authority = Hoge, 1958 | taxon = Ditaxodon taeniatus | authority = (W. Peters, 1868) | synonyms = *''Philodryas taeniatus'' <br>{{small|W. Peters ''in'' Hensel, 1868}} *''Conophis taeniatus'' <br>{{small|— Boulenger, 1896}} *''Ditaxodon taemiatus'' <br>{{small|— Hoge, 1958}} | synonyms_ref = <ref name=RDB/> }} '''Hensel's snake''' ('''''Ditaxodon taeniatus''''') is a species of snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae.<ref name=RDB/> The species is endemic to southern Brazil,<ref name=RDB/> and it is monotypic in the genus '''''Ditaxodon'''''.

==Geographic range== ''D. taeniatus'' is found in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo.<ref name=iucn/><ref name=RDB/>

==Habitat== The preferred natural habitats of ''D. taeniatus'' are forest and grassland, at altitudes of {{cvt|800|–|1,800|m|ft}}.<ref name=iucn/>

==Description== The neotype of ''D. taeniatus'' has a total length of {{cvt|54.3|cm|in}}, which includes a tail length of {{cvt|12.2|cm|in}}.<ref name=RDB/> The maximum recorded total lengths are {{cvt|86.4|cm|in}} for a female, and {{cvt|70.7|cm|in}} for a male.<ref name=iucn/>

==Diet== ''D. taeniatus'' preys upon lizards and birds.<ref name=iucn/>

==Reproduction== ''D. taeniatus'' is oviparous.<ref name=RDB/> Clutch size is around ten eggs.<ref name=iucn/>

==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=RDB>{{NRDB species|genus=Ditaxodon|species=taeniatus|accessdate=5 December 2016}}</ref> }}

==Further reading== *Bernils RS, Kucharzewski C, Moura-Leite JC, Kwet A (2008). "Rediscovery of the holotype of ''Ditaxodon taeniatus'' (Peters in Hensel, 1868) (Serpentes: Colubridae), and invalidation of the neotype designation". ''Zootaxa'' '''1764''': 66–68. *Boulenger GA (1896). ''Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ)'' .... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I–XXV. (''Conophis taeniatus'', new combination, p. 124). *Freiberg M (1982). ''Snakes of South America''. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. {{ISBN|0-87666-912-7}}. (''Ditaxodon taeniatus'', p. 94). *Hoge AR (1958). "''Die systematische Stellung von ''Xenodon punctatus'' Peters 1880 und ''Philodryas taeniatus'' Hensel 1868'' [= The systematic position of ''Xenodon punctatus'' Peters, 1880, and ''Philodryas taeniatus'' Hensel, 1868]". ''Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin'' '''34''' (1): 49–56. (''Ditaxodon'', new genus, and ''Ditaxodon taeniatus'', new combination, pp. 54–55). (in German). *Peters W (1868). '''''In'':''' Hensel R (1868). "''Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Wirbelthiere Südbrasiliens'' [= Contributions to the knowledge of the vertebrates of southern Brazil ]". ''Archiv für Naturgeschichte'' '''34''' (1): 323–375. (''Philodryas taeniatus'', new species, pp. 331–332). (in German).

Category:Dipsadinae Category:Monotypic snake genera Category:Snakes of Brazil Category:Endemic reptiles of Brazil Category:Reptiles described in 1868 Category:Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters