Snake identification

[Puzzler]

 Can anybody identify this little beauty? About one centimetre diameter and at least 30 CMS long...  I very very nearly stood on it when walking the dogs this evening.

[jak2002003]

It is a Sunbeam snake....named for the beautiful iridescent colours on its scales.

 

Totally harmless and non venomous.

 

They are nocturnal, slow moving, placid snakes that like to live in damp areas near water and under fallen leaves or loose soil

 

 

 

[blackcab]

A troll post has been removed.

[katana]

Hope you didn't kill it!

[Puzzler]

Definitely not! I like wildlife. Too many people immediately want to kill wild animals from ignorance. Luckily, I am not totally ignorant ????

[Motoko]

I used to own a few of these. They are a primitive snake called a xenopeltid, or sunbeam snake. That is to say they don't belong to pythons, boas, or the "advanced" caenophidian snakes, to which other familiar snakes belong. Sunbeams are beautiful and iridescent, are non-venomous, and cannot draw blood if they bite. If you don't like snakes, then ironically, these are nice to have around, being snake eaters themselves, and harmless to man.