The Indian Subcontinent provides suitable habitats to various species of reptiles for residing and reproducing. Snakes are no exception in this regard. Various types of snakes have been recorded in India. These snakes are described below.
Indian Cobra
Indian Cobra is distributed throughout India. It has an elliptical and depressed head. Its snout is short and rounded and the nostrils are large. Its eyes have circular pupils. Throughout the range this cobra, it exhibits variance in color and pattern. The underside may be visible as grey, yellow, tan, brown, reddish or black. Dorsal scales have salt-and-pepper speckles (especially in adults) and may have a hood mark or color patterns.
Flatbread Snake
Flatbread Snake has been recorded in the Western Ghats of India. This species is a bright green and yellowish green snake. It has an aerodynamically shaped head, which is very pointy. It has a very prominent snout. The mouth is very large and stretches almost the whole length of the head. The green colored tongue is long. Each side of its belly and tail has a narrow yellowish-white stripe. The long tail is very delicate.
Little Indian Viper
Little Indian Viper will be visible in pale buff, grayish, reddish, olive or pale brown ground color. It has a pear-shaped head, which is distinct from the neck and is covered with small keeled scales. A whitish cruciform or trident pattern is present on top of the head. The viper has vertically elliptical pupils. A faint stripe runs from the eye to the angle of the jaw. The snout is very short and rounded. The snake has whitish to pinkish belly. It has a short thin tail.
Dog-Faced Water Snake
Dog-Faced Water Snake is common in mangroves forest of Sunderbans of India. It has an elongated and depressed head. Its eyes have vertically elliptical pupil. A dark streak is present behind the eyes. The snake has gray-brown dorsal, where faint or dark cross bands are present in gray-black. The belly is white or cream in appearance. The tail is laterally compressed.
Common Trinket
Common Trinket is a faint brownish snake. It has an elongated head with a glossy brown texture. The pupils are round and black. There is a black streak extending from the lower hind part of the eye to the mouth in a diagonal manner. It has light and dark brown chain like patterns on the fore body. The long tail is brown in appearance and has two black horizontal stripes on either side.
Other Indian Snakes
King Cobra, Common Sand Boa, Russells Viper and Pit Viper are some of the other Indian Snakes.
