Banded Kukri

Description:

I'd spotted this beautiful non venomous snake in my hospital premises. The nasal scale is divided; the portion of rostral seen from above is as long as its distance from the frontal or a little shorter; the suture between the internasals is usually nearly as long as that between the prefrontals. The frontal is as long as its distance from the end of the snout or a little shorter, and a little shorter than the parietals. The loreal, if distinct, is longer than it is deep, and frequently united with the prefrontal. It has one preocular and two postoculars; the temporals are 1+2; of its seven upper labials, the third and fourth enter the eye; its four lower labials are in contact with the anterior chin shields; the posterior chin shields are one-half to two-thirds the length of the anterior. Its scales are in 17 rows. The ventrals are angulated laterally, and number 170-202; the anal scale is divided; subcaudals are 41-59 in number. The banded kukuri snake is pale brown or orange above, with well-defined black crossbands, which vary in number and in width according to individuals, and may be edged with white; an angular or transverse black band is found between the eyes, with another behind, with the apex on the frontal, and a third on the nape. Its lower surface is uniform yellowish, rarely spotted with brown, or with a brown posterior border to the ventrals.It is found in India and Sri Lanka, northwards to Nepal and the Himalayas, where it has been recorded from an altitude of 4100 feet.