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Family : COLUBRIDAE
Species : Sibynophis collaris
Maximum Size : 76 cm
Snakes of the genus
Sibynophis, of which six species occur in Southeast Asia,
are called 'collared snakes' or more precisely 'many-tooth snakes'.
These snakes have an unusually large number of teeth, which are closely
packed together onto a separate structure not fixed to the jaw
bone.
Sibynophis collaris, called here 'Mountain Many-tooth Snake', but
also known as 'Collared Black-headed Snake', is largely a montane species,
occurring at elevations of up to 3000 metres, though it may also occur in
some lowland areas too.
This is a terrestrial, secretive species which remains largely hidden
amongst forest floor debris, where it preys on other small reptiles, frogs
and invertebrates.
Its body is relatively slender, and its head is slightly larger in width than
the front part of the body. Its eyes are of moderate size, with rounded
pupils.
It is medium brown in colour, with a dark vertebral stripe and a pale stripe
on each flank. There is a dark band on the back of the neck, behind which
are one or two rows of orange or yellow scales. The top of the head is
speckled, and the lips are white.
This species ranges from northern parts of the Indian subcontinent (India,
Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh) and southern China (including Taiwan), through
Myanmar, Thailand and Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) to Peninsular
Malaysia. It has not been recorded from Singapore.
Fig 1 : Specimen from Fraser's Hill, Peninsular Malaysia at an
elevation of 1100 metres. It was found one morning at the edge of a mountain
road passing through primary, lower montane forest.
References : H12, H14
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