Macrocalamus jasoni

Macrocalamus jasoni, also known commonly as Jason's mountain reed snake and Jason's reed snake, is a species of snake in the subfamily Calamariinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Malaysia.^[1][2]

Macrocalamus jasoni
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Macrocalamus
Species:	M. jasoni
Binomial name
Macrocalamus jasoni Grandison, 1972

Etymology

The specific name, jasoni, is in honor of John Jason Gathorne-Hardy, who is a British zoologist and artist.^[3]

Geographic range

M. jasoni is found in Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia, Malaysia.^[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of M. jasoni is forest, at altitudes of 1,768–1,981 m (5,801–6,499 ft).^[1]

Description

M. jasoni may attain a total length (including tail) of 75.2 cm (29.6 in). It has smooth dorsal scales, which are arranged in 15 rows at midbody. The ventral scales number 131–133.^[2] Dorsally it is black with two orange stripes, and ventrally it is bright yellow (Vogel & David, 1999).

Behavior

M. jasoni is terrestrial and semi-fossorial.^[1]

Reproduction

M. jasoni is oviparous.^[2]

References

1. Grismer, L. (2012). "Macrocalamus jasoni ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T191976A2023255. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
2. Macrocalamus jasoni at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 26 February 2016.
3. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Macrocalamus jasoni, p. 134).

Further reading

• Grandison AGC (1972). "The Gunung Benom Expedition 1967. 5. Reptiles and Amphiians of Gunung Benom with a Description of a New Species of Macrocalamus ". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Zoology 23: 45–101. (Macrocalamus jasoni, new species, pp. 88–92, Figure 4).
• Manthey U, Grossmann W (1997). Amphibien & Reptilien Südostasiens. Münster: Natur und Tier Verlag. 512 pp. ISBN 978-3931587123. (Macrocalamus jasoni, p. 367). (in German).
• Quah ESH, Anuar S, Grismer LL, Wood PL Jr, Azizah MNS (2020). "Systematics and natural history of mountain reed snakes (genus Macrocalamus; Calamariinae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 188 (4): 1236–1276. (Macrocalamus jasoni, Figures 16–17, eight color photographs).
• Vogel G, David P (1999). "A revision of the genus Macrocalamus (Serpentes: Colubridae), with description of a new species and a key to the genus". Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 47 (2): 309–332. (Macrocalamus jasoni, pp. 317–318 + Plates 13–16 on p. 326).