Common Cat Snake | Boiga trigonata

Labels: Indian Gamma Snake, Common Cat Snake
Scientific name: Boiga trigonata
Common name: Common Cat Snake

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Boiga
Species:	B. trigonata

Type: HARMLESS

Distinguishing Features: Small to medium-sized; very slender; scales smooth; neck is thin; eyes protruding with flat head and distinct pattern.

Average Length: 65 cm; At Birth: 25 cm; Maximum: 1.25 m (female).

Description: Common Cat Snakes are thin and have a long body with a tail that tapers to a point. Their colour is light-brown or tan with a pattern of zigzag markings. A prominent ‘Y’ mark can be seen on their head. They usually have smooth scales, which are not glossy. Their underside is whitish or tan, which occasionally shows the presence of tiny spots. They are often mistaken for Saw-scaled Vipers. There are 11 species of Cat Snakes in India.

Distribution: They are found throughout India, but mostly on plains. The Himalayan Cat Snake is found up to 3000 m above sea level.

Habitat: In Tamil they are called ‘palm leaf snakes’, as it is found coiled up in the leaves of the Palmyra during the day time. They also like to stay in a cool place, among bushes, in thatched roofs or under the bark of trees.

Habits: Cat Snakes have cat-like protruding eyes and long feathery tongue indicate which indicates that they are nocturnal. They are rear-fanged and have mild venom for paralyzing their prey. Usually they are inoffensive and when disturbed will coil firmly, rearing back and vibrating the tail.

Young: Approximately 7 eggs are laid at a time.

Food: They mainly feed on geckos and other lizards, but also eat mice and small birds.

Status: In many areas South India it can be referred to as a Common Snake, but like other inconspicuous or nocturnal snakes they are hardly ever seen.

Royal Snake | Spalerosophis diadema

Labels: Royal Snake, Rajat Bansi

Scientific name: Spalerosophis diadema

Common name: Royal Snake

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Spalerosophis
Species: S. diadema

Type: HARMLESS

Distinguishing Features: Medium to large-sized; keeled scales; young with uniform spots whereas adults with black heads and very irregular black markings.

Average Length: 1.5 m; At Birth: Approximately 25 cm; Maximum: 2 m.

Description: Generally the colour of Royal Snakes varies from yellowish-brown or orange, with irregular black markings down the back, till their jet-black head and neck. Their underside is glossy and rosy-pink. Their dorsal scales are strongly keeled and the body has a prominent sparkling lustre. Royal Snake is the only Indian snake known, whose pattern changes continually as it grows. The young ones are evenly blotched patterns and no black markings.

Distribution: They are restricted to the dry areas of Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh up to 2000 m above sea level.

Habitat: They generally stay in rat holes, rocky areas and crevices. Being an excellent and fast climber, they are also fond in trees and bushes in arid and semi-arid areas.

Habits: They remain active mainly during the day time. Royal Snakes are quite similar to Trinket Snakes but grow larger and are faster in activity and response. They bite infrequently, but coil and make a hissing sound when disturbed.

Young: It is an egg-laying species but their precise number and laying-time is not known.

Food: They primarily eat rodents, but feed on small birds and lizards as well.

Status: Royal Snakes are widespread throughout their range and are significant rodent predators. They wrongly considered as venomous and thus frequently killed. People mistakenly call them “Nag” (Cobra), despite of the obvious difference.

Bronze-back Tree Snake | Dendrelaphis tristis

Labels: Bronze-back Tree Snake, Lal-Dhaman
Binomial name: Dendrelaphis tristis
Common name: Bronze-back Tree Snake

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Dendrelaphis
Species:	D. tristis

Type: HARMLESS

Distinguishing Features: Medium-sized; quite slender; smooth scales; wide brown or bronze stripes from head to tail.

Average Length: 1 m; At Birth: 15 cm; Maximum: 1.5 m.

Description: Bronze-back Tree Snakes are pretty long and slender with flat heads and large eyes. Their sides are often dark brown or black in colour with a wide light bronze stripe down the centre of the back. The young ones often resemble the adults to a great extent, but have a faint banded pattern which disappears in the first year. Their underside is whitish, grey to light brown. There are in all 8 species of Bronze-backs in India, which are mostly found in the hills.

Distribution: They are found throughout India, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, up to 2000 m above sea level.

Habitat: Mainly this species is arboreal and occupy low bushes, thorn tree such as Acacia, Toddy palms and Palmyra.

Habits: They are diurnal and very active even during the hottest part of a summer day. Bronze-backs are very alert snakes and engage their neck and forebody in a ‘strange wavering dance’ while moving about or when disturbed. When manhandled, they strike and bite with quick jabs, but calms down after proper handling. Unlike other snakes these snakes don’t fear falling and regularly jump among branches and to the ground from heights of 10-20 m. They rarely seem to hide and are mostly found in the open.

Young: The female lays about 6 long thin eggs in a tree hole or old bird nest.

Food: They mainly feed on frogs and lizards. Also, it is not rare for this snake to hunt tree frogs and geckos in thatched roofs.

Status: Bronze-back Tree Snakes are very commonly found.

Banded Racer | Argyrogena fasciolatus

Labels: Banded Racer

Binomial name: Argyrogena fasciolatus

Common name: Banded Racer

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Argyrogena
Species:	A. fasciolatus

Type: HARMLESS

Distinguishing Features: Small to medium-sized; slender; smooth scales; young ones are brightly banded while the adults uniform and without pattern.

Average Length: 75 cm; At Birth: 15 cm; Maximum: 1.4 m.

Description: They are light or dark brown in colour. The young ones have white cross bands at regular spaces. They also have vibrant white head markings. Their head is a bit wider than the neck and nose is slightly pointed. They have smooth scales, but not shining and the underside is yellowish or white.

Distribution: This species is found in plains throughout most parts of India.

Habitat: Banded Racers are very alert and fast snakes and have a preference for high grass or bushes. Generally they occupy rodent burrows, rock piles and heavy brush.

Habits: They are active and quick during the day. When captured, they may bite and display a thin ‘hood’ by flattening its ribs in the neck region. But after some time, it calms down.

Young: The female lays about 2 to 6 eggs some-time around October.

Food: The young eat frogs and insects, while adults feed on mice and Metad Rats (Ratus maltada). They kill their prey by constricting or pressing with the body.

Status: The population of Banded Racers is getting reduced because of severe over-grazing and clearing of vegetation.

Dog-faced Water-Snake | Cerberus rynchops

Labels: New Guinea Bockadam, Dog-faced water-snake
Binomial name: Cerberus rynchops
Common name: Dog-faced Water-Snake

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Cerberus
Species:	C. rynchops

Type: HARMLESS

Distinguishing Features: Medium sized; thick-bodied; scales keeled and dull; head wider than neck; eyes small; back pattern unclear and checkered belly is distinct.

Average Length: 60 cm; At Birth: 15 cm; Maximum: 1.25 m (female).

Description: This Water-Snake is heavy-bodied, with their eyes and nostrils set high on the head. Their overall colour is slate-grey, but sometimes with indistinct uneven black cross bars. Their abdomen has distinctive black and white checks. Their scales are dull and heavily keeled. There are in all 6 other species of rear-fanged swamp snakes in India.

Distribution: They are found in near Coastal India including the Andaman and Nicobars.

Habitat: Dog faced water-snakes hang about in muddy and rocky areas in estuaries such as mangrove swamps, salt pans and creeks. Though they prefer brackish water, this water-snake is also found several miles from the coast in fish traps set in rice fields.

Habits: They seem to be nocturnal but mating and feeding activity is also found during the day. They just peep out exposing only their heads from the holes where they live. They have a long sensitive tongue which is extended out as they swim along the bottom. This species of water-snakes are excellent swimmer, when scared they snap to a leaping and escape to the land.

Young: Around 6 to 30 living young are born between February and May.

Food: Being water-snake, they mainly feed on several species of fishes, which includes spiny ones like Tilapia and cat fish. They also eat frogs.

Status: Though this species is unexploited, the loss of coastal habitat and pollution of brackish water badly depletes their number. Once considered a rare snake, actually it is one of the most plentiful in India.

Indian Monocled Cobra | Naja kaouthia

Labels: Monocled Cobra, Bengal Cobra, Nag Samp
Binomial name: Naja kaouthia
Common name: Indian Monocled Cobra

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Naja
Species:	N. kaouthia

Type: VENOMOUS

Distinguishing Features: Medium sized; smooth, shiny scales; wide head and neck; distinctive hood marking different from that of the Spectacled Cobra.

Average Length: 1 m; At Birth: 20 cm; Maximum: 1.5 m (male).

Description: Monocled Cobra’s skin is shinier, their hood rounder and smaller and the head smaller than that of the Spectacled Cobra. Their colour shows a lot of variation, ranging from yellowish to greenish brown, to black, with ragged bands. Their hood bears a striking white monocle. The underside is yellowish white. This snake superficially resembles the Spectacled Cobra, but there are several minor differences.

Distribution: They are commonly found in North-East India, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa and the Andamans. Also, they are found throughout Bengal and Assam.

Habitat: They mainly dwell in much wetter areas than the Spectacled Cobra.

Habits: This Cobra, also known as Bengal Cobra, is mainly nocturnal. When bothered they spread their hood and hiss at the intruder, but bite only when it’s inevitable. While most of them are calm and unexcitable, there have been cases when they are found to be energetic and quick.

Young: Their eggs and clutch sizes are perhaps smaller than that of the Spectacled Cobra. The eggs are laid between January and March.

Food: This snake prefers munching on cold blooded preys like fishes and small snakes, but they also take frogs and rats.

Status: This sub-species is killed on a large scale for its beautiful skin.

Venom: The venom of Monocled Cobra is reported to be less toxic than that of the Spectacled Cobra. The anti-venom produced by the Haffkine’s Institute is effective against its bite.

Saw-Scaled Viper | Echis carinatus

Labels: Saw-scaled Vipers, Carpet Vipers, Phoorsa

Binomial name: Echis carinatus

Common name: Saw-Scaled Viper

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Viperinae
Genus:	Echis
Species:	E. carinatus

Type: VENOMOUS

Distinguishing Features: Small; strongly keeled scales; head wider than neck; dull colour; cross mark on top of the head distinct.

Average Length: 30-50 cm; At Birth: 8 cm; Maximum: 8 cm.

Description: Saw-scaled Vipers are rough scaled snakes with large eyes, wider head than neck and stocky body. Their scales are deeply keeled. Their body colour is usually brown, greyish or sandy with a darker zigzag pattern on the back and a characteristic cross mark on the head. Their underside is white with brown speckles. Their tails are short and stubby. They are the smallest of the big four venomous snakes of India. They are less of a threat in South India because of their small size; however the Northern form grows large enough to be potentially dangerous member of the Big Four.

Distribution: They are found throughout India, mostly on plains. They are reported up to 2,000 m in the hills of North. They are found in plenty in some areas like Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, parts of Punjab, and Andhra Pradesh.

Habitat: They reside in the dry, sandy or rocky plains. They usually rest under rocks, behind barks, in thorny plants and other dry concealed places. Their favourite haunts include areas of laterite soil, boulders, and light scrub jungle with small hills and open dry tracts.

Habits: Mainly this viper is nocturnal and rarely makes a day-light appearance except possibly to bask in the sun after a cold, rainy night. This inconspicuous snake hides under rocks, bushes or in burrows during day time. They become very lively on humid or rainy nights and regular warm roads after dark. Saw-scaled Vipers get its English and Hindi names from the saw-edged keels of their lateral scales, which it rubs producing a ‘ssshhh’ sound which is similar to the hissing noise produced by other snakes during violent breathing.

Young: Female bears 4 to 8 living young between the months of April and August.

Food: They feed on lizards, mice, frogs, scorpions and few other arthropods.

Status: This species are plentiful throughout and are collected in large numbers in some areas like the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra for production of anti-venom at the Haffkine Institute.

Venom: Saw-scaled Vipers cause the largest number of venomous bites in the regions where they are very common. As this snake is fairly small, its bite is rarely fatal. Their venom is a strong blood coagulant, which after neutralizing the body’s clotting agent, causes a bleeding tendency similar to haemophilia. The bite can be treated by way such as anti-venom, transfusions, Vitamin K and calcium carbonate.