Kiara Green Whip Snake 21 May 2009

Ahaetulla nasuta (Green Whip Snake)

This series of photos of the Green Whip Snake was taken by the side of the Kiara tar road near the cross junction. Based on internet notes, this is a Common Whip Snake (Ahaetulla nasutus) which is quite harmless.
It`s a long and slender snake with elongated pointed snout. Its eyes are large and the irises are powdered with gold and its pupil is horizontal. It has a binocular vision. Its tongue is pale pinkish with white tip. Inside its mouth it is pale pinkish. Its tail is cylindrical and is very long. When it is exited it has a striking black and white ornamentation of oblique lines exposed on the anterior two-thirds of the body. The green whip snake is found on low bushes and scrubs in jungles and gardens and groves in populated areas. It reclines on the topmost boughs of trees and escapes notice by its cryptic coloration. It is an elegant snake with a wonderful turn of speed over foliage. It is capable of obtaining support from the minutest twig and twining stem. Though a gentle snake, when disturbed it appears to be very fierce. When exited it opens its jaws very widely and the fore body is thrown into sigmoid curves ready for striking. The snake has the habit of striking at the eyes. It feeds small mammals, birds, lizards, other snakes and frogs. On seeing a prey the fore body is freed, raised and coiled in a zigzag manner and it darts forward to catch the prey just behind the head.

The green whip snake is viviparous and the young are born free frontal. The whip snake is mildly poisonous; there will be an occasional swelling and numbness on the bitten area.


For more photographs, please refer to http://happytrekker.shutterfly.com/pictures/6146.