Wagler s Pit Viper Venomous Dangerous

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1 Wagler s Pit Viper Venomous Dangerous Tropidolaemus wagleri Wagler s Pit Viper Dangerous and potentially deadly bites. Tropidolaemus wagleri also called: Wagler s Pit viper; temple viper; bamboo snake; speckled pit viper [Last Updated: 5 May 2017] Thais say: ngoo keow took geh Length: Average length of 60 cm. Male smaller than female. Female maximum length at 100 cm. Appearance: Wagler s pit viper is a short green (ง เข ยว ) pit viper and the female is considerably thicker (3-4 times as thick) than the male. A marked difference in patterns is noted with the female becoming darker and with strong banding as you can see in the above image. The males are so radically different that they look like completely different species (sexual dimorphism). In three reptile identification books I have for Thailand, they make no mention of the differences between the sexes. The female is pictured in each case. Dorsal scale count ( 23 to 29 ) ( 21 to 27 ) ( 17 to 21 ) and usually 21 to 23 mid-body dorsal scale rows in males and 23 to 27 mid-body scale rows in females. Dorsal scales are strongly keeled in females, and lesser keeled in males. Coloration can vary significantly among females. Here is a

2 very yellow T. wagleri. Yellow and black female Wagler s Pit Viper from Southern Thailand. Here is a darker colored female, but not nearly as much as the top and bottom photos on this page. Not nearly as much lateral yellow as the previous photo. Gravid and ready to bear young. Soon to be the parent of dozens of hatchling vipers. Besides the difference in size, thickness, and pattern, the body type is also quite different. The male grows to be around 60 cm and is long and thin, more like a wolf snake or something similar. Below is a photo of a male Wagler s pit viper found within one meter of a very gravid female. Obviously quite a big difference.

3 Male Wagler s Pit Viper note the remarkable difference between male and female (Sexual dimorphism). Range: Southern Thailand south of Khao Sok National Park, Suratthani province. Other countries: West Malaysia; Indonesia; Philippines. There is a concentration of these common vipers on the island of Phuket, Thailand. Habitat: Elevations up to about 1,200 meters but most abundant at elevations from 400 up to about 600 meters in lowland primary forest, secondary forest and jungle especially coastal mangrove. During the day these vipers can sometimes be found as little as a meter off the ground, up to a couple meters. They seem to prefer bushes over trees. Recently I found a gravid female at one meter off the forest floor and resting on a strong vine just 1 cm in diameter.

4 Active Time? Mainly nocturnal, but occasionally found during the day, especially during or after rain. Crepuscular in nature, they are more often active during dusk and dawn, or on an unusually dark day during heavy rain. I have found these snakes during the day in a moderate rain at 400 meters elevation, and at 2000 hours after a light rain. Food: Birds especially baby birds in the nest, mice and other rodents, lizards, frogs. Defensive Behavior: Coil back into s-shape before striking. Strike is typically less than.3 meters in distance. Mouth wide-open exposing very long fangs and white tissue. Can strike in succession rather quickly. Their strike is not very fast in comparison with some of the other vipers. The heatsensing pits between the eyes can sense temperature difference as little as degrees Celsius. If continuously threatened they may hold their mouth wide open, like the photo above. Venom Toxicity: Potentially deadly. Strong venom that usually does not result in death to humans. Victims experience a strong burning sensation upon envenomation, and swelling, necrosis of tissue. The multi-valent antivenom for green pit vipers treats envenomation by this snake. Antivenom Code: SAsTRC01 Antivenom Name: Green Pit Viper Antivenin Manufacturer: Science Division, Thai Red Cross Society Phone: (up to 0164) Address: Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, 1871 Rama IV Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok Country: Thailand Offspring: Live birth in September is common, with up to 41 young per litter. Male and females look different from day one, the females having light banding and the males with creme / red or brown dots on the top of the body. Notes: Though these snakes are said to be exclusively arboreal

5 and nocturnal, I found one on a mountain recently during the middle of the day, on the ground, during a rain shower. See the video below. Tropidolaemus wagleri Classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Viperidae Subfamily: Crotalinae Genus: Tropidolaemus Species: T. wagleri Binomial name: Tropidolaemus wagleri Classified by Boie, in the year Top of head very triangular, and thin neck (female): Video 1 Wagler s Pit Viper found during daylight hours during a moderate rain shower with dark skies at around 400 meters elevation on a mountain in Krabi province, Southern Thailand.

6 Brown-Spotted Green Pit Viper Venomous Dangerous Trimeresurus venustus. Brown-Spotted Green Viper. Small 70 cm. Venomous. Mildly Dangerous. Found in Southern Thailand ThailandSnakes.com. Trimeresurus venustus, previously Cryptelytrops venustus (Brown-spotted Green Pit Viper, Beautiful Pit Viper) [Last Updated: 5 May 2017] Appearance: Green snake (ง เข ยว ) with brown or reddish orange scales which may form bands across the width of the snake. Triangular pit viper head. Thais Say: Haang Ham tai Length: average cm Range: Chumpon to Krabi Province in Thailand. I have found them in Krabi and Surat Thani provinces. Notes: I found this one in the picture on a small hill at a Buddhist temple on a hill next to some steps. These venomous snakes are active on the ground and in bushes. This one was in a bush about 1.3 meters high, right next to the path. It was

7 non-aggressive and didn t protest when I moved it away from the path with a stick. Appearance: Small vipers with usually brilliant greens, whites, and browns. Though sometimes the color can be quite muted. Dorsal scales are strongly keeled. Dorsal scale count A brightly colored T. venustus waiting in ambush atop a rock. Habitat: I ve found these vipers up to 300 meters elevation. This snake hunts almost entirely on the ground where it preys on frogs and lizards. They also enjoy primary and secondary rainforest, limestone mountains, and rubber tree plantations. I kept one of these for three days to photograph and shoot video of. It spends most time suspended from a branch just a few inches off the bottom of the tank. Active Time? The snake is mainly nocturnal. Active during the day only after heavy rainfall. I have found most of mine during daylight hours, but have also found them at night hunting prey on the ground in ambush position in culverts on certain hills. Food: Mice, frogs, lizards. I had a good sized house gecko in

8 the tank with this Trimeresurus venustus, but it left it alone. The pit vipers sense the heat of the animal and strike. The geckos are cold blooded so they are no hotter than their surroundings. Still, some pit vipers will eat cold blooded animals. Perhaps this snake just wasn t hungry at the moment. Defensive Behavior: This pit viper is very slow during the day and only bites if seriously aggravated. I ran into a reptile poacher in a Thailand forest and he was hand carrying one of these brown spotted green pit vipers in his left hand and had a large box turtle in his other hand. I told him PIT! It means venomous in Thai. He insisted no, it wasn t and held it up to his face where the snake immediately bit him on the cheek a couple times and once on the lip. It let go after 1-2 seconds. He said See?? I promptly bought the snake from him, to keep him from further harm. Not sure what hospital he was at that night! Venom Toxicity: Mildly toxic, but complications can develop. Bites are painful and usually without significant effects. Probably this viper would need to bite down for a number of seconds to transfer enough volume of venom that it would be seriously detrimental, but they are fully capable of doing so. Bites are to be considered potentially deadly. Green Pit Viper Antivenin is available at most public hospitals in Thailand. Antivenom Code: SAsTRC01 Antivenom Name: Green Pit Viper Antivenin Manufacturer: Science Division, Thai Red Cross Society Phone: (up to 0164) Address: Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute, 1871 Rama IV Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok Country: Thailand Offspring: The beautiful pit viper I have now is likely gravid, which contradicts some other info I ve seen about them

9 having offspring in the June/July time-frame. This is December. She is not overly gravid and looks to be in the beginning stages, but still I think only a couple of months are required for gestation. She ll have an early birth April maybe? These snakes birth live offspring in a jelly-like bubble that breaks after coming out of the female snake. Typical numbers are young that are colored and patterned same as the adults. Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Viperidae Subfamily: Crotilinae Species: Trimeresurus venustus I could find little information about this snake beyond my own experience and some of the snake identification books I have. #GreenPitViper #GreenSnake #ง เข ยว Oriental Whip Snake Venomous Not Dangerous Oriental Whip Snake Venomous Not Dangerous The oriental whip snake is a very common rear-fanged venomous snake found here in Thailand s rain forests. You can find

10 these snakes in the trees during the day, I have even seen them crossing my path twice on trips up a small local mountain in southern Thailand. The beauty of these snakes is legend. There are green, yellow, or grey phases of this snake, all of which are spellbindingly beautiful. The juvenile whip snakes are often brown or yellow. Ahaetulla prasina (Oriental Whip snakes) Thai Language: ngoo kee-ow hoo-uh jing joke pa Length: Up to 190 cm. Girth: Body is finger thin, tapering to a very thin pencil-width neck. The head is spear shaped and bright green. Range: All over Thailand. The species ranges from India to China and throughout Southeast Asia. Habitat: During the day you can find these snakes in trees and bushes usually. Occasionally they will be at ground level hunting frogs and small lizards. I have seen these snakes in all kinds of habitat, but usually in trees and leafy bushes. At night these snakes sleep in the same environment. Active Time? Diurnal active during the daylight hours. Food: Frogs, small birds, small lizards. Defensive Behavior: The oriental whip snake can spread it s neck area to increase by double in size as a defensive technique designed to scare attackers. It is quite beautiful when either solid green, or with the green, white and black checkered pattern displayed in full defensive posture. Sort of comical is what the snake does with it s tongue when molested. It sticks the tongue out and holds it there for some seconds, or minutes. Venom Toxicity: Weak. Although this is considered to be a rear-fanged and venomous snake it is not very dangerous to

11 humans due to it s non-aggressive nature and weak venom characteristics. The venom would need to be injected into the wound with time with a chewing motion. Not many people bitten are going to let a snake hang off them for any amount of time. Some do, and they may have severe complications and require hospitalization. Offspring: In Thailand the Ahaetulla prasina can mate during either of two times. Usually between April and July, and then also between December and January. Gestation period: ~ 6 months. Number of births: Lengths at birth of offspring: mm. Notes: These are wonderful little snakes to catch and let go. These snakes do not do well in captivity and many die within days of being kept in an enclosure. They are as beautiful as snakes get, but please resist the urge to capture one to keep as they are very sensitive and die easily. We have not been bitten by these snakes, but in the wild when catching them they will attempt to strike at times. They are fast and have a short striking range. What is really amazing about these snakes is the way they effortlessly glide down a hill or through trees like on ice. They can climb extremely fast and disappear before you have a chance to grab them. See video below! These snakes are not often confused with other snakes here in Thailand because they are quite distinctive. Their head is long and to a fine point. They are very thin at the neck before the head unless they have flared up in defense. Ahaetulla prasina Oriental Whipsnake (Ahaetulla prasina) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia

12 Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Colubridae Subfamily: Colubrinae Genus: Ahaetulla Species: Ahaetulla prasina Binomial name: Ahaetulla prasina (Classified by Shaw, in the year 1802) Photo of a brown hued Ahaetulla prasina shot by Tom Charlton shown here with permission: Sometimes they are brown. Juveniles are usually brown. Photo of an Ahaetulla prasina Ahaetula mycterizans, very similar to A. prasina I found on a hike: Ahaetulla mycterizans Venomous Not Dangerous Oriental Whip Snake Videos: Another of the same type of snake just further up the trail, different day: Green Keelback Venomous Not Dangerous This Rhabdophis nigrocinctus was in Phuket, Thailand Elliot Pelling.

13 Rhabdophis nigrocinctus (Green Keelback) [Last Updated: 5 May 2017] Thai: (noo ly sab keow kwan dam) Appearance: Green snake (ง เข ยว ) with thin black bands down the length of the body, a pink and red neck and head with strong black diagonal lines from the eyes similar to other Thailand keelbacks. Length: Up to 90 cm Habitat / Range: Thailand and Southeast Asia. Found in a range of areas, usually fairly close to water. This snake is terrestrial ground based, and is very common in Phuket, Thailand and Phang Nga, and across much of Thailand. Here in Krabi, I have never seen one. Notes: These snakes are commonly found near water, lakes, ponds, and in gardens. Active Time? Daylight hours, especially dawn and dusk near water. Food: Frogs, poisonous Bufo toads, and fish. Defensive Behavior: Rarely strike. Venom Toxicity: Though this snake is not known to have caused medically significant bites with envenomation, it is closely related to the Rhabdophis subminiatus which has proven capable of deadly bites. Do be very careful and treat these snakes as venomous and potentially deadly. Offspring: Nothing known.

14 Green Keelback Classification: Scientific Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Colubridae Genus: Rhabdophis Species: Rhabdophis nigrocinctus #GreenSnake #ง เข ยว Green Cat Snake Venomous Not Dangerous Green Cat-eyed Snake Boiga cyanea Length: Up to 186 cm Description: This is a long, slender green snake (ง เข ยว ) with a vertically compressed body (shallow vertebral ridge). It is overall green, with a blue tint to it. The eyes are large with vertical pupils. The chin and throat are bluewhite. The inside of the mouth is black. Young snakes of this species are brown / red hued with a green head. This snake is nocturnal and arboreal, but can often be found on the ground as well.

15 Range: Thailand-wide. Found in evergreen forests, but also found in housing developments. The first one of this species that I found was on my porch at midnight, using my motorbike to reach higher on the windows for geckos. When I followed it, it climbed a small tree and rested about 2.5 meters high until I left the area. Found in a variety of forest types up to 2,100 meters. Habitat: Bushes and trees. climber. This snake is an excellent Active Time? Nocturnal. Food: Geckos and other lizards appear to be its primary food source, but they will also eat small mammals, birds, eggs, other snakes, and frogs. Defensive Behavior: I have not seen this snake strike often, they calm down with gentle handling very quickly. Usually they are very calm. Venom Toxicity: Weak or none. Rear fanged, and the fangs are small and it is not easy for the snake to get a good grip to chew in the venom. That said, at least one instance of significant envenomation has been recorded. Don t attempt to hand-hold a snake that is biting. Offspring: Nothing known about this area. Notes: These are great snakes for first time snake hobbyists to handle for a short time in the wild. If they are striking initially, they quickly calm down when held for a short time. There is a very real danger of misidentification of a small non-venomous B. cyanea with one of the venomous green vipers. Scientific classification: Boiga cyanea Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia

16 Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Colubridae Subfamily: Colubrinae Genus: Boiga Species: B. cyanea Binomial name: Boiga cyanea (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854) Video Green Cat Snake found in Southern Thailand Video Green Cat Snake strikes at the camera (not expecting it) #greensnake #ง เข ยว Red Tailed Racer NonVenomous Not Dangerous Red Tailed Racer Non-Venomous Not Dangerous [Last Updated: 5 May 2017] These Red Tailed Racers are beautiful green snakes (ง เข ยว ) with a grey or reddish tail. They are non-venomous but big enough to give you a strong bite. These snakes live for about 15 years on average if they don t encounter a predator like the King cobra.

17 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Red Tailed Racer) Thai: (ngoo kee-ow kub maak) Length: Max length about 2.5m (7.5+ feet) They are thick like your wrist and very strong, muscled snakes. Range: All over Thailand. Habitat: Red Tailed Racers prefer lowland and up to about 750m above sea level in jungle, agricultural (farmed) land, mangrove forests. They spend most of their time in trees and bushes. Notes: These are common tree snakes that are also found in caves. They have beautiful greens, with white and black mixed in to their main body color. Their belly scales are rough and ideal for climbing trees. Their top scales are smooth. Identified easily by the dark streak across the eyes, and, if you re close enough the blue tongue that flickers in and out when aggravated. The tail is not always or even usually red the ones I ve seen are grey. They don t always do well in captivity and can strike at anytime, though usually much more when aggravated first. Active Time? Daytime. Food: Rats, mice, birds, bats and lizards. Natural Enemies: King cobras love to eat Red Tailed Racer snakes! Defensive Behavior: They flare up their body vertically horizontally like the cobras. They puff themselves vertically and turn this part sideways to you so they strike fear into you. They do bite when pestered. They strike from nearly any position, head facing away from too. Be careful they have strong jaws. not up can can you

18 Venom Toxicity: No venom dangerous to humans. Offspring: Red tailed racers reach sexually maturity at 4 years. Between September and January this snake deposits small clutches of 3-8 eggs that hatch 45cm long baby red tailed racer snakes in 91 to 112 days. We put this snake on the ground to get a full-body shot, usually it would not be on the ground they much prefer the trees and bushes. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Colubridae Genus: Gonyosoma Species: G. oxycephalum Binomial name: Gonyosoma oxycephalum Classified by Boie in Video: Big Red-Tailed Racer Found on Hiking Trail Southern Thailand #GreenSnake #ง เข ยว

19 Golden Tree Snake Mildly Venomous Not Very Dangerous Golden Tree Snake Venomous Little Danger to Humans These Golden Tree Snakes are also known as Flying Snakes. They glide very well, perhaps the best of any snake in the world, and even better than some squirrels and lizards. Golden Tree Snakes are a lime green (ง เข ยว ) and black checkered type patterned snake. They are tree dwellers but can climb anything, even walls. They appear to have a favorite food the Tokay Geckos that reach sizes of 12 inches long in adulthood. They are frequently seen eating Tokays. Chrysopelea ornata (Golden Tree Snake) ornatissima Thai language: Ngoo kee-ow ly dok mak Appearance: Chrysopelea ornata in Thailand is lime green with some black and green cross hatches. This snake s head is rather flat with a thin neck and atypical blunt nose, large eyes which sometimes are red depending on the angle. Generally seen as a green snake (ง เข ยว ) while moving. Length: Up to 140 cm (almost 5 feet). They only get about as thick as 2-3 fingers held together. Range: All over Thailand and many countries in Southeast Asia. Habitat: Golden Tree Snakes can in an apartment in Bangkok, or vertical elevation. Typically I the roads, or laying flat out be found just about anywhere climbing bushes at 500 meters see them at sea-level crossing along the stem of a low-lying

20 palm tree branch. Notes: If you re trying to catch one of these snakes it can be very difficult. They are excellent escape artists and once they get into a clump of bushes or up a tree forget it. Go look for something else, you won t catch it. They can disappear in trees so fast it s hard to believe.occasionally you can find these in caves they eat bats too. Active Time? Diurnal daytime. Food: Small geckos, lizards, large Tokay geckos, rodents, bird eggs, insects, another snake occasionally, and bats. Golden Tree Snakes kill by squeezing the neck of their prey, crushing it. Natural Enemies: King cobras and Kraits will eat these snakes when they can catch them. When they are small, birds eat them. Defensive Behavior: Golden Tree Snakes (flying snakes) bite quickly when played with. As adults they may not lose that temperament. As babies I have one now for some photos and video, they lose it quickly and are OK with being held. They are very fast snakes when escaping. Venom Toxicity: Rear fanged mildly venomous snake but the venom is not known to be dangerous to humans. Just the same, don t let it bite down on you more than you remove it. Don t give this snake a of venom and you ll likely be just fine There have been no confirmed cases of envenomation with Golden Tree Snakes. a second or two before chance to inject a lot if no allergies to it. medically significant Offspring: Little is known about the breeding habits of these snakes because nobody can seem to get them to mate while captive. Being oviparous it lays 6-12 eggs in May-June and they hatch in June. Baby snakes are 11-15cm long (4-6 ) Kingdom: Animalia

21 Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Colubridae Subfamily: Colubrinae Genus: Chrysopelea Species: C. ornata Binomial name: Chrysopelea ornata Discovered, classified by Shaw, 1802 Golden Tree Snake Photo: In Thailand the golden tree snakes typically have this coloration and pattern. Video: My Baby Golden Tree Snake in Thailand: #ง เข ยว #greensnake Oriental Whip Snake in Yellow, Grey, and Green Ahaetulla prasina Not dangerous just beautiful.

22 These are some really awesome looking snakes. Usually they come in brown (tan) and green (ง เข ยว ) color variations, but Rob Green, who has copyright to the images below took these photos of a yellow one and a grey one. Quite cool. Rob was on Koh Kood (kut) near Koh Chang in the northeastern Gulf of Thailand when he found these snakes. The yellow images were taken with a Canon 7D. The grey whip snake with his iphone. Thanks Rob! After you see these photos you can see more at the Ahaetulla prasina Fact Sheet (click). There are photos and videos of me catching them in the Thailand forest. Probably the coolest looking of all snakes Grey Ahaetulla prasina: Green Ahaetulla prasina (copyright Apornpradab Buasi): Green Oriental Whip Snake piggy-backing on a Sunbeam snake. Green Snake (ง เข ยว ) New Thailand Snake Species Trimeresurus (Popeia) phuketensis Similar to the beautiful viper in coloring, but the Pope s viper in size. This is the

23 holotype snake for the new species. [Last Updated: 5 May 2017] I was at the Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute in Bangkok (the Red Cross Snake Farm) on Sunday and was talking to the snake guy that does the presentation in English on various Thailand snakes. He mentioned that a new snake species was described from Phuket called the Trimeresurus phuketensis. Wow, how cool is that? He said it is in general appearance like the Trimeresurus venustus, but larger and with brownish scales that make up a pattern of stripes not well defined, but defined enough to call them stripes. The venom wasn t supposed to be very strong, but in size the snake is supposed to be similiar to Pope s Pit Viper a rather large green viper that often also has stripes. I ve yet to see one of these newly described green snakes (ง เข ยว ) but will be on the lookout. Their range is only known to be a small section of Phuket Island. The snake has been described in the Russian Journal of Herpetology by Montri Sumontha, Kirati Kunya, Olivier S. G. Pauwels, Awat Nitikul, Suwit Punnadee. Here is the MCOT news about it: NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Dec 23 Thai researchers have discovered a previously unknown species of pitviper on the southern resort island of Phuket and will unveil it next week at Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, also known as the Korat Zoo, in this northeastern Thai province. Commonly known as Phuket pitviper, the new species, Trimeresurus (Popeia) phuketensis sp. nov., was discovered in a rain forest on the southern resort island on Oct 5, 2009, according to Kirati Kunya, a member of the research team.

24 The researchers studied and examined the species for two years after its discovery to ensure that the serpent was indeed a new species. The discovery and research later was printed in an international journal, Mr Kirati added. The new species was described and named for its habitat. The Phuket pitviper differs from other pitvipers as its body has distinct and clearly-seen pattern with more and more dense scales. The toxicity of its venom was not strong but is the same as other pitvipers. The zoo is scheduled to show this world s new species of serpent to the public during the New Year celebrations. (MCOT online news) Ok, my buddy Rob Valentic already got photos of it, and wow, did he get photos. Here s one: New Thailand snake, Trimeresurus phuketensis Rob Valentic. Gondwana Reptile Productions by Rob Valentic #GreenSnake #GreenPitViper #ง เข ยว Golden Tree Chrysopelea ornatissima Snake ornata Common in

25 Thailand Golden Tree Snake - Thailand - Chrysopelea ornata ornatissima These are like the road runner of snakes they are super fast, thin, and agile. They can climb trees and bushes faster than any other snake I ve seen, and they are wicked fast on the strike. Yesterday I saw one strike so fast I couldn t see it. That s fast. These are very common snakes here in Thailand, they are definitely one of the top 5 snakes you are likely to see in this country. On average I see 1-2 a week without looking for them. They are constantly snaking across the roads. I have given chase about a dozen times and was only fast enough to catch them 4 out of 12 times. Once they hit the green brush forget it man they are impossible to find or catch if you do see them. So, best chance to catch this snake is on the road if you can jump off your motorcycle or out of your vehicle fast enough. These snakes bite fast and often, and they do have venom, but the venom is only toxic to frogs, lizards, and other small animals not usually humans. If you happen to be allergic to the venom, you could still go into shock, though I ve not seen any cases of this in the literature. More information available ornatissima fact sheet -> at the Chrysopelea ornata