Vertebrate fauna of SE Asia
  

 

   
Home  
——————————  
SE Asia fauna ...  
   
Primates
 Carnivorans
 Large Mammals
 Small Mammals
 Mammal calls
 Bats
—————
Birds
—————
 Snakes
 Lizards & Crocodilians
 Turtles
—————
 Amphibians
 Tadpoles
 Frog calls
—————
Freshwater Fishes
 Marine & Brackish Fishes
—————
Species Lists
 





 


 
——————————  
New Guinea herptiles ...  
Snakes   Lizards   Frogs  
——————————  
SE Asia Vert Records (SEAVR) archives ...  
  Indochina Records
  Indonesia & PNG Records
 
——————————  
Philippines Vertebrate Records (PVR)  
Philippines Records  
Email :
 
——————————  
   
  New or updated pages ...
 
 
     
 
     
 
     
 
——————————  
 

Search this site ...

 
 


   

 
  ——————————  
 


Email :


Text and photos by Nick Baker, unless credited to others.
Copyright © Ecology Asia 2024

 
     
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

   
   
 
Mountain Many-tooth Snake
   
   

Fig 1


Fig 2
 

Fig 3


Fig 4


 



 

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