NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Common Tree Snake
Dendrelaphis punctulatus (Gray, 1826)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Dendrelaphis punctulatus, also known commonly as the Australian tree snake, the common tree snake, and the green tree snake, is a species of slender, large-eyed, diurnal, non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to many parts of Australia, especially in the northern and eastern coastal areas, and to Papua New Guinea. It is an agile snake with a very slender body and tail and is also a strong swimmer, using the water for hunting and avoiding predation. The ventral body colour varies from golden yellow, to bright green, to olive-green, to black, sometimes even blue, while its back is typically dark in colour. It is frequently pale yellow on the throat and belly, but other pale colours have been noted. Blue flecks are present on the flanks. The eyes are large, with typically golden-coloured irises and large round pupils. It is found in a variety of habitats ranging from rainforest to woodland to urban areas where it preys on fish, frogs, and other small animals.
Wikipedia contributors, Dendrelaphis punctulatus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:10:19.121113+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Dendrelaphis punctulatus (Gray, 1826)
- Name authority
- (Gray, 1826)
- Common name
- Common Tree Snake
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Colubridae
- Genus
- Dendrelaphis
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderSerpentes Linnaeus, 1758
- infraorderAlethinophidia Nopcsa, 1923
- familyColubridae
- genusDendrelaphis
- speciesDendrelaphis punctulatus (Gray, 1826)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Dendrelaphis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Ashok’s bronzeback tree snakeDendrelaphis ashoki Vogel & Van Rooijen, 2011 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Boulenger's BronzebackDendrelaphis bifrenalis (Boulenger, 1890) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Gore's BronzebackDendrelaphis biloreatus Wall, 1908 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Green treesnakeDendrelaphis calligaster (Günther, 1867) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Dendrelaphis caudolineolatus (Günther, 1869) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Western Ghats Bronze backDendrelaphis chairecacos (Boie, 1827) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Sulu BronzebackDendrelaphis flavescens Gaulke, 1994 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Montane treesnakeDendrelaphis gastrostictus (Boulenger, 1894) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Giri’s bronzebackDendrelaphis girii Vogel & Van Rooijen, 2011 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Large-eyed BronzebackDendrelaphis grandoculis (Boulenger, 1890) | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Haas’s Bronzeback snakeDendrelaphis haasi Van Rooijen & Vogel, 2008 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Dendrelaphis hollinrakei Lazell, 2002 | ColubridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Dendrophis (Ahetula) olivacea Gray, 1842 Gray, 1842 | synonym |
| Dendrophis bilorealis Macleay, 1884 Macleay, 1884 | synonym |
| Elaps lewisii Gray, 1841 Gray, 1841 | synonym |
| Dendrophis prasinus Girard, 1858 Girard, 1858 | synonym |
| Ahaetulla punctulatus Gray, 1827 Gray, 1827 | synonym |
| Dendrophis breviceps Macleay, 1877 Macleay, 1877 | ambiguous synonym |
| Leptophis punctulatus Gray, 1826 Gray, 1826 | synonym |
| Dendrophis gracilis Macleay, 1875 Macleay, 1875 | synonym |
| Dendrophis olivacea Macleay, 1878 Macleay, 1878 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Dendrelaphis&species=punctulatus Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:34M4G. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.