A striking black-and-yellow Southeast Asian colubrid with rear fangs, found coiled in low branches over tidal estuaries.
Description
A long, slender colubrid up to 2.5 m with smooth glossy jet-black scales and thin, neat yellow crossbands ringing the body. The eyes are large with vertical pupils, and the head is broad and slightly triangular. Adults are striking even at a distance against dark mangrove roots.
Behavior
The mangrove snake is nocturnal and arboreal, hunting roosting birds and bats in low canopy and constricting them after a rear-fanged hold. Although the venom is mild, large adults can deliver a painful bite. They are common at canopy-walk attractions where they roost openly during the day.
Range
Native to the lowlands and coastal regions of Southeast Asia, from southern Thailand through peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia to the Philippines. Several geographically distinct subspecies vary in band number and width.
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