Month: January 2013

Species: Bungarus fasciatus English Name: Banded Krait Chinese Name: 金腳帶, 金甲帶, 金蛇, 黃金甲, 鐵包金 Family: Elapidae Description: This highly venomous snake has 105-135 cm in average length but can grow up to 180 cm. It is easily identified by it’s black body with yellow transverse bands and its triangular body cross section. The Banded Krait inhabits areas with good…

Species: Xenochrophis piscator English Name: Checkered Keelback, Asiatic Water Snake, Striped Water Snake Chinese Name: 渔游蛇 Family: Colubridae Description: The Checkered Keelback has 75 cm in average length but can grow up to 135 cm. Above it is grey, brown or olive with a black checkered pattern and two black streaks behind each eye. Below it is whitish with…

Species: Ptyas mucosa English Name: Oriental Rat Snake, Common Rat Snake Chinese Name: 滑鼠蛇 Family: Colubridae Description: Medium sized, non-venomous snake, reaching about 250 cm in length. Above, it is light brown with light crossbars on anterior part of body, dark crossbars on posterior part and whitish below. This diurnal species can be found in agricultural fields, shrublands, grasslands…

Species: Oligodon formosanus English Name: Taiwan Kukri Snake Chinese Name: 台灣小頭蛇 Family: Colubridae Description: This non-venomous snake can grow up to 90 cm. The back is grayish or reddish-brown, with thin irregular crossbars, and the ventral side is pale pink. The head is not distinct from neck and have two brown V-shaped marks. It occurs in dry and moist…

Species: Enhydris chinensis English Name: Chinese Water Snake, Chinese Smooth Water Snake Chinese Name: 中國水蛇 Family: Homalopsidae Description: Relatively small (up to 80 cm), mildly venomous snake. The upperside is brown with irregularly scattered black spots and the ventral side is yellowish. The head is rounded and distinct from the neck. It is a aquatic species found in cultivated…

Species: Boiga multomaculata English Name: Many-spotted Cat Snake, Large-spotted Cat Snake, Marbled Cat-eyed Snake Chinese Name: 繁花林蛇, 繁花蛇, 金钱豹 Family: Colubridae Description: Long (up to 75 cm long), slender, mildly venomous snake with a large head, compared to the body. It is grayish-brown above with two alternating series of round dark brown to chestnut colored spots and two other…

Species: Amphiesma stolatum English Name: Buff Striped Keelback Chinese Name: 草腹链蛇, 黄头蛇, 花浪蛇, 土地公蛇, 草尾仔蛇 Family: Colubridae Description: Small (average 65 cm), slender, nonvenomous snake, generally olive-brown to grey in color. The sides of the head are yellow and the body have irregular blackish crossbars with two distinctive yellow stripes along the length. It can be found in river…

Species: Python bivittatus English Name: Burmese Python Chinese Name: 緬甸蟒 Family: Pythonidae Description: This is one of the largest snakes in the world growing 3,7 m long on average. Burmese Phyton have a distinctive patterning: dark brown blotches on a light tan background. They are mostly found in forests, mangroves and rainforests, but also in grasslands, marshes, streams and…

Species: Ramphotyphlops braminus English Name: Brahminy Blind Snake, Flower Pot Snake, Common Blind Snake Chinese Name: 鉤盲蛇, 鐵線蛇 Family: Typhlopidae Description: Small (10-15 cm), thin, shiny, worm-like snake. The coloration varies from dark brown to black. The head and tail-tip are similar. The vestigial eyes are underneath the head scales. This primitive species is unixexual with no males ever been…