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History: First noticed by Seba in 1734

Characteristics: A miniature venomous snake with a distinctly triangular head and brown colouration. Its markings vary from dark brown mottles to black spots or transverse stripes. Possesses the characteristic loreal pit and its raised rostral shield gives it a hoglike appearance. Behaviour: Diurnal and sluggish but very alert when hunting or roused. Like many other snakes always attempts to avoid confrontation. Coils back with lightning speed if suddenly roused and remains so in order to deter its adversary but attacks without hesitation if molested. Remains coiled up and sluggish when captive.

Food: Diet comprises mainly of mice, small rodents, frogs and lizards. The prey is stalked and killed with a lethal dose of venom, released and swallowed once dead.

Breeding: Little is known about its breeding habits. It is viviparous and the brood varies from 4 to 10.

Growth: At birth neonates measure around 125mm. These snakes become mature when over 30cm long and the maximum adult length is around 50cm. Females and males are of similar length but males have proportionately longer tails.

Identification: This snake can be identified from other Sri Lankan snakes by the row of small scales that separate the Frontal-Supraocular system from the Preocular system. In order to distinguish it from Hypnale nepa one should not that H.nepa has a more prominent hump than H.hypnale. Also the Postocular shield in H.nepa is divided into three smaller shields while in H.hypnale it is divided into two smaller shields.

Lepidosis:

• Rostro-Nasal System: This combined system forms a raised hump on which the nostrils are located laterally. This system also includes the Intranasals and a number of smaller scales.
• Supraocular: Long, broad and larger than the Frontal.
• Parietals: Comparatively small and slightly larger than the Supraoculars.
• Frontal: Small and wedge shaped. It is smaller than the Supraoculars.
• Prefrontals: Separated from the Frontal-Supraocular system by a row of smaller scales.
• Loreal: Small and divided.
• Preoculars: Divided into three or four shields.
• Postoculars: Divided into two shields of which the lower one is longer and extends for nearly a third of the circumference of the eye.
• Temporals: Large and touch the fourth and fifth Supralabial pairs.
• Supralabials: Seven pairs of which the fourth pair is the largest. None touch the eye.
• Mental: Sharply curved.
• Infralabials: Four pairs of which the first is elongated and sharply curved inwards.
• Sublinguals: Divided Anterior pair prominent while the Posterior pair is less pronounced.
• Ventrals: Rounded 136 to 153 (males) 139 to 157 (females)
• Anal: Entire
• Subcaudals: Divided 36 to 47 (males) 30 to 43 (females)
• Costals: Vertebrals and Ultimate row marginally enlarged.

Venom: Venom potent and could prove fatal. Therefore medical attention should be immediately sought.

Dentition:

• Maxillary: 2 (Fangs)
• Palatine: 4
• Pterygoid: 13 to 19
• Mandibular: 16 to 19

Habitat: Prefers the leaf litter of dense forests. Often found in leaf litter near houses but rarely enters human dwellings.

Distribution: Southern India and Sri Lanka

Common throughout the island including Colombo, up to an altitude of over 800m. Rare in the hills and has been recorded at Kandy and Uva.

References:

WALL, Frank: Snakes of Ceylon (1921)

Acknowledgements:

Photograph from EMBL Reptile Database (Photographer on photos)