Why in News?
Herpetologists recently sighted the dog-faced water snake for the first time in the floodplains at Garemara in western Assam’s Nalbari district.
- It is a rear-fanged, mildly venomous, and semi-aquatic snake.
- It is also known as the South Asian bockadam.
- Appearance – Mottled grey and black colour.
- It is well adapted to brackish water, due to their aquatic habitat they have nostrils placed higher upon their snout giving them a dog-like appearance.
- They have salt glands below upper lip that discard excess salt acquired from the brackish water they consume.
- Size – Grow up to one metre.
- Diet – It is known to hunt for fish and crustaceans in shallow waters, using a sit-and-wait predatory strategy.
- Habitat – Predominantly associated with coastal ecosystems, inhabiting mangroves, coastal mudflats, and estuarine habitats, Inland records of the species are rare.
- Distribution - Across South, Southeast Asia, and parts of Australia002E
- Indian coastal regions in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- Breeding – Viviparous – Give birth to young ones.
- Conservation Status
- Threats
- Loss of Mangrove Habitats
- Entanglement in fishing nets.
References
- The Hindu - Dog-faced snake
- Round Glass Sustain - Dog-faced water snake
