Natural History Notes

The Colubrid is a large family of snake found almost in all continents. Some species are only a few inches long, whereas other may reach over a few meters in length. In forested habitat, these snakes inhabit the trees or the ground, and some species live near water and in caves. Small creatures like rats, bats and insects are part of their diet. Because snakes belonging the family Colubridae are non-venomous snakes, they are harmless to man, however, a number of species have toxic saliva harmful to their prey. Red-Tailed Rat Snake This family is further subdivided into several groups like the rat snakes and the bronzeback tree snakes. The Red-Tailed Rat Snake ( Gonyosoma oxycephalum) , for example, is striking green with yellowish belly, dark eye-line and bluish-black tongue. It derives its name from its reddish tail tip. Some people keep this snake as a pet because of it beautiful coloration. Painted Bronzeback Slenderer than the previous species is the Painted Br...

This is the most commonly encountered vipers in the rainforest, usually seen laying still on low branches in the understorey. Wagler’s Pit Viper ( Tropidolaemus wagleri ) is a beautiful venomous snake with a docile disposition for it seldom attempt to bite. The effect of the venom is comparatively mild to humans and most bites lead to localized swelling and not fatal. In the island of Penang at the west coast of peninsular Malaysia, they are left freely within a temple, thus their different name−Temple Snake. Adult Wagler's Pit Viper Thick bodied, dark green to almost black above and yellow below, adult Wagler’s Pit Viper can reach up to a meter in length. The much slenderer juvenile has different coloration with lighter green above dotted regularly with white and reddish spots, which contrast with the white underparts, and a distinct reddish line runs across its eyes. Juvenile Wagler's Pit Viper The name pit viper refers to the heat sensing organs locate...

Striped Bronzeback Tree Snake Not only the tropical rainforest is rich in avifauna and plant diversity, but  also snakes which include various species of arboreal or tree dwelling snakes. The Striped Bronzeback ( Dendrelaphis caudolineatus ), a beautiful snake with red and black stripes and relatively large eyes is one of them. Although it spends much of its time in the rainforest trees, it does come down to the ground like the individual in the picture. Since it is a non-venomous snake, the snake's bite is not fatal but it can cause a minor cut.  In the wild the Striped Bronzedback are known to prey on other small animal in the rainforest such as a tree lizard. Related Post Non-Venomous Colubrid Snakes