This profile is pending review by a qualified herpetologist. Never rely on it to decide whether a snake is safe to approach.
Overview
The common water snake of tanks, paddy fields and streams. It bites readily when handled but is not venomous.
How to recognise it
- 1Olive or yellowish body with rows of dark spots in a checkerboard pattern
- 2Two dark streaks below and behind the eye
- 3Rough, keeled scales; usually seen in or near water
Where it lives
Tanks, ponds, paddy fields, canals and streams across the island.
