Description ²

INTRODUCTION

• Non Venomous
• Very fast moving and slender snakes.

IDENTIFICATION

• Slender body usually reddish-brown dorsal with smooth scales and yellowish or whitish belly.
• Younger individuals have white crossbands across body.
• Adults have very dull bands mainly on the anterior while many have no bands at all.
• Very often confused with the Indian Cobra, especially adults without any bands. Also have narrow hoods.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT

• Throughout plains of India. Not commonly seen. More common in the central highlands.
• Inhabit dry grasslands, scrub jungle, agricultural lands and city outskirts.
• Found near high grass and bushes and hide in rodent burrows, rock piles & dense bushes.

DIET AND BEHAVIOR

• Mainly eat rodents and sometimes frogs and lizards..
• Prey killed by using weight of body and sometimes constricted.
• Diurnalsnakes that are primarily terrestrial but can climb trees in search of prey.
• Very alert and fast moving. Very quick to respond and tries to escape.
• If caught, inflates neck displaying narrow hood and coils upper body loosely.
• Does try to bite after giving mock bites. Bites in a chew manner, but becomes tame after a while.

Fontes e Créditos

1. (c) Vinay Gogula, todos os direitos reservados, uploaded by Vinay Gogula
2. (c) Vinay Gogula, alguns direitos reservados (CC BY-SA)

Mais informações

• BioDiversity4All taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HerpMapper
• Snake Database
• The Reptile Database
• VertNet

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