Recently dead, 52 cm specimen found at
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Singapore.
Family : CYLINDROPHIIDAE
Species : Cylindrophis ruffus
Maximum Size : 90 cm
References : H1, H2 |
This is a lowland species,
generally preferring swampy, forested habitats but is also found in
agricultural areas. It leads a burrowing lifestyle; its body shape, being
cylindrical in cross-section, is ideally suited. It feeds mainly on other
snakes and eels, and is a good swimmer.
The body is dark but
iridescent, with indistinct pale bands, and the blunt tail has reddish
colouration which it displays when threatened. (In these photos the red
pigment cells have faded). The head is short and blunt, and of similar shape
to the body. The eyes are small.
The Red-tailed Pipe Snake
ranges from Burma, Thailand, Indochina and southern China to Peninsular
Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo, Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi.
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