Wildlifeof India
Split Keelback
Colubrid Snakes
Photo: (c) Ronith Urs, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Atretium schistosum
Basic stats
Habitat
In water or among the surrounding vegetation; up to about 1,000m
Range
Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Nepal; in India, peninsular India south of 15°N and along the east coast to Uttarakhand
Size
Females 70–75cm; males 50–60cm; longest measured 87cm
The split keelback, or olive keelback wart snake, is a common and harmless water snake of South Asia and the only species in its genus. It is a small, robust snake with a thin head, a short snout and slit nostrils set rather high. It is olive-green above and yellow to orange below, sometimes tinged pink or purplish on the flanks, with a tail a quarter to a third of the total length (Wikipedia, general species account).
Females are 70 to 75 cm long and males 50 to 60 cm, and the longest measured was 87 cm. The back scales are keeled and rough. It lives in water or among the surrounding vegetation, is diurnal and is also seen at night, up to about 1,000 m. It lays eggs. In India it is described as very common around Bangalore, North Arcot district and the Kakinada area, and absent from most of North India.
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Split Keelback live in?
- In water or among the surrounding vegetation; up to about 1,000m
- Where is the Split Keelback found?
- Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Nepal; in India, peninsular India south of 15°N and along the east coast to Uttarakhand
- How big is the Split Keelback?
- Females 70–75cm; males 50–60cm; longest measured 87cm