Dog-Faced Water Snake : Recorded For The First Time In Northeast India
A dog-faced water snake (Cerberus rynchops) has been recorded for the first time in Northeast India, far from its known coastal habitat.
- Dog-Faced Water Snake is a rear-fanged, mildly venomous, semi-aquatic
- It belongs to the family Homalopsidae, which refers to Indo-Australian rear-fanged water snakes.
- Scientific Name: Cerberus rynchops
- It typically resides in mangroves, coastal mudflats and estuarine habitats throughout Southeast Asia and northern Australia.
- In India, it has been recorded in coastal regions such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- They spend the majority of their life in some type of water. Salt glands allow them to live in marine environments because they can expel salt through them in order to survive.
- The species hunts fish and crustaceans in shallow waters employing a ‘sit-and-wait’ strategy to ambush prey.
- They can grow to about 1m long.
- They are characterized by a wide head and snout, which is where the epithet “dog-faced water snake” comes from.
- They are striped and dark brown with a white underbelly.
- The snake is adapted for slow-moving, shallow, and murky waters.
- Conservation Status:IUCN Red List: Least Concern
