ງູປາ ( Yellow-spotted Keelback Water Snake)

Col quincunciatus Schlegel, 1837
Nerodia piscator Wall, 1921
Tropidonotus piscator subsp. ornatus Wall, 1907
Xenochrophis flavipunctatus (Hallowell, 1860)

Colubridae

The upper body exhibits an olivaceous or greenish-grey hue, occasionally tinged with reddish tones, adorned with black spots that evolve into a reticulate pattern toward the posterior. The forehead presents a dark olive or grey colour, featuring two dark lines that extend from the eyes. Additionally, there is an interrupted band that stretches from the base of the jaw across the neck, forming a distinct V-shape, along with two small median lines. The belly is characterised by green, cream, or yellow shades, while the body itself is robust and cylindrical, reaching a total length of 97.4 cm [5].

Cambodia, China, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Taiwan, Province of China, Thailand, Viet Nam
Global distribution between 2004 to 2024. Source: [6]

Vientiane Plain
Southern Mekong Corridor

Bamboo forest
Grasslands
Rivers and streams
Lakes and ponds

Native

Not invasive

Least concern

None

Food

Wild

Population: It thrives in wet human-modified habitats, including rice fields. It is less common in Vietnam than in the past as a result of increased pesticide use and overharvesting to support snake farms and pigs, and exploitation for use in snake wine, but across its wide range the overall population is likely to be stable as it occurs very widely and benefits from many forms of habitat modification.

Threats: Populations in Vietnam and especially at Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia, may be threatened by overexploitation. The massive scale of the aquatic snake trade at Tonle Sap may threaten the persistence of that subpopulation, and the species is perceived to be declining at this site. In the rest of its range there are no apparent threats to this highly adaptable and abundant species.

N/A

N/A

Nutrient	/100g	Remark
Proteins	N/A	N/A
Carbohydrates	N/A	N/A
Fats	N/A	N/A
Vitamins	N/A	N/A
Minerals	N/A	N/A
Fibers	N/A	N/A

Yellow-spotted keelback. [1] iNaturalist [Online]. Uploaded on 23 March 2024 by: zhangyujuan. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/360022373. [Accessed: 04 October 2024]
Yellow-spotted keelback up close. [2] iNaturalist [Online]. Uploaded on 16 May 2024 by: daniel_liepack. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/382197572. [Accessed: 04 October 2024]
Yellow-spotted keelback. [3] iNaturalist [Online]. Uploaded on 25 May 2024 by: gavingoodwan. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/386306509. [Accessed: 04 October 2024]

[4] N. Das, “A Natural List's Guide to the Snake in Thailand and Southeast Asia”, Klong Toey, Bangkok: Asia Book, 2021
[5] Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), “Fowlea flavipunctatus (Hallowell, 1860)” [Online]. Available: https://www.gbif.org/species/11204069. [Accessed: 04 October 2024].
[6] IUCN Red List, “Fowlea flavipunctatus,” [Online]. Available: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/192120/2042661. [Accessed: 11 July 2024]