Thai National Parks

Puff-faced Water Snake or Masked Water Snake (Homalopsis buccata) is a species of snake found in Asia.

Description

Inter nasals smaller than prefrontals; frontal often broken up into small shields, a little broader or sometimes narrower than the supraocular; parietals short; loreal present, sometimes divided; one or two pre- and two postoculars; one to three suboculars may be present; temporals small; ten to twelve upper labials, fifth or sixth entering the eye or narrowly separated from it; two or three pair of chin-shields, inner in contact with the three anterior lower labials. Scales in 37–47 rows; ventrals 158–176; anal divided; subcaudals 70–106.

Dark brown above, with narrow, pale brown, black-edged transverse bands, in young specimens yellow; head pale with a triangular or V-shaped dark marking on the snout, a A-shaped spot on the occiput, and a dark band on each side passing through the eye and extending to before the eye. Lower surface white or yellowish, with dark brown spots along each side; tail with brown spots. Length of head and body 820 mm.; tail 230 mm. Eats fish and frogs.

Distribution

• Bangladesh; Myanmar, Cambodia; Thailand; Vietnam;
• Indonesia (Bangka, Belitung, Borneo, Java, Kalimantan, Riau Archipelago, Sulawesi, Sumatra);
• Laos; W Malaysia (Malaya); Singapore;
• NE India; Nepal; Pulau Bangka

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