As we went down the slope from the summit, we searched frantically for some animals. It was then when my friend screamed 'Snake!' An orange coloured snake was slithering across the path into the leaf litter.
When we ran to get some snaps and a closer look, we recognised it as the Spotted Keelback, Xenochrophis maculatus. As it moved, we saw it grab a Dark-Sided Chorus Frog, Microhyla heymonsi, into its mouth. I managed to get a picture of the snake with the frog in its mouth.
-
-
I was so excited after managing to get a shot of it consuming the frog that it made me take even more shots of it. I took a shot every 30 seconds. It was awesome to see the snake move swiftly among the dead leaves.
-
-
This medium-sized, slender snake inhabits lowland forests. Like other Southeast Asian keelbacks it shows preference for shallow streams and swampy areas, where it hunts for frogs, its main source of food. It is diurnal in habits.
The Spotted Keelback is not known to be venomous, however as a precaution all keelbacks should be treated with caution since the toxicity of many species is unknown. In general keelbacks are not aggressive, however.
-
*Images taken with a Panasonic DMC-FS3.*
No comments:
Post a Comment