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Cerberus rynchops | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Homalopsidae |
Genus: | Cerberus |
Species: | C. rynchops |
Binomial name | |
Cerberus rynchops (Schneider, 1799) | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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Cerberus rynchops, also known as the New Guinea bockadam, South Asian bockadam, bockadam snake, or dog-faced water snake, is a mildly venomous species of a snake in the family Homalopsidae. [1] [2] It is native to coastal waters of South and Southeast Asia. [2] The species was re-delimited in 2012, allocating populations east and south of the west coast of Thailand to other species. [3]
It is commonly found in mangroves, mudflats, streams, ponds, tidal pools, on algae patches, and has even been found burrowing into the mud.[ citation needed ] It is rear-fanged and is mildly venomous.[ citation needed ] An aquatic and nocturnal snake, it feeds mainly on fish and is known to consume eels.[ citation needed ]
In captivity, it is observed to move in a sidewinding direction on land.[ citation needed ] In the BBC series 'Life in Cold Blood' it was filmed adapting this sidewinding technique to jump across a mudflat in Singapore; up until then, no snakes were considered able to truly jump.[ citation needed ] It also has a prehensile tail that would suggest it could climb mangrove trees.[ citation needed ] It is now known to give birth to live young, numbering from 8 to 30, either in water or on land.[ citation needed ]
It is a quite docile, mild-tempered and a hardy snake; in recent years it has become a welcome addition to snake hobbyists in the Philippines.[ citation needed ] It also owes its popularity to its bright yellow to orange belly coloring, mostly of females.[ citation needed ] In the Philippines, particularly in the Central Visayas area, this snake is commonly known as the "tangkig".[ citation needed ]
The visibility of upper jaw, giving it a dog-like appearance. Head long and distinct from neck. Eyes small and beady, with rounded pupils. Dorsum dark gray, with faint dark blotches and a dark line along the sides of the head, across the eyes. Center cream with two distinct rows of large, diffuse dark gray spots.[ citation needed ]
Scales are distinctly keeled. Midbody scale rows 21–25. Ventrals 132–160. Subcaudals 49–72.[ citation needed ]
This is a saltwater-tolerant species found in India (including Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, and northwestern Malaysia. [2] The eastern limit of its distribution with Cerberus schneiderii is uncertain. [3]