Common Name: Himalayan Mountain Keelback
Scientific Name: Herpetoreas platyceps
Family: Colubridae
Nepali Name: Himali Dharke Saap ( हिमली धर्के साँप )
Size: 90 cm
Location: Godawari, Lalitpur

The Himalayan Mountain Keelback is a non-venomous snake native to Nepal, where it is commonly recorded between elevations of 1,000 and 3,600 meters.

This species is typically olive-brown in color, with small black spots scattered across its back. A distinctive feature is the presence of two black parallel lines or an oval-shaped marking on the nape. The head often bears a pale stripe bordered with black, or a dark line running from the eye to the corner of the mouth. Its underside is yellowish and may display black speckles or rows of elongated dark markings along the edges.

Growing to a maximum length of around 90 centimeters, including a tail of about 23 centimeters, the Himalayan Mountain Keelback inhabits a range of environments such as forested hillsides, shrub-covered areas, and locations close to streams and rivers. It primarily feeds on frogs and lizards, though it may also consume small fish when available.

Please feel free to comment below if the above species has been misidentified.

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