Photographed at Bukit Timah Nature
Reserve, Singapore. Note the dorso-lateral flattening in the
middle part of the body which allows the snake to grip surface
irregularities on the wall of this cave.
Family : COLUBRIDAE
Species : Dryocalamus subannulatus
Maximum Size : 60 cm
References
: H2, H3 |
Bridle snakes are so named
because of the resemblance of their slender bodies to the reins or 'bridle'
used to control horses. The Malayan Bridle Snake occurs in primary and
secondary forests and has a mainly arboreal lifestyle. It is a master
climber; the specimen shown here was easily able to grip the overhanging
wall of a damp cave in its search for geckos, one of its chief sources of
food.
This is a relatively small
species, which can be identified by the yellow-grey body colour, with thick,
regular brown bands on the dorsal side which do not continue under the
ventral side. A second form exists where the patterning comprises alternate
brown and yellow stripes.
The species ranges from
southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore to Borneo, Sumatra and
parts of the Philippines.
Close-ups of the head and neck region. |
|
 |
|
