Snake

[eek]

Watched a snake in a grassy embankment area near a small river today. (Apologies this will probably come across as a rather vague description, but anyway..)From what i could see it was mainly black/grey, had a really small head, thin body, and was probably around a meter in length. No idea what kind of snake (which is obvious ).

Anyway..it was hunting a frog. The frog escaped from it whilst in the grass by diving into the water..BUT, the snake tracked it in the water... and caught it.

Just wondering if anyone can hazard a guess at what kind of snake this was, and how it was able to track the frog in water.

Thanks.

[cmsally]

Kind of difficult to go by description but could have been a cobra. But also could have been a rat snake

Rat snake - Ngu Singh

Difficult to find pictures of a cobra without the hood up but there are a few.

[ThaiWx]

I've seen many common water snakes here that you will see often on land but not far from water. They are usually darker than the adult in this picture (at least the majority I've seen). I've rescued a few from old fishing nets left behind in streams/klongs. Not saying this is what you saw but a possibility.

[Gladiator]

My apologies to Eek and additional apologies to Ian, as I know that he has seen this before but I couldn't resist::

A man went fishing one day. He looked over the side of his boat and saw a snake with a frog in its mouth. Feeling sorry for the frog, he reached down, gently took the frog from the snake, and set the frog free. But then he felt sorry for the snake. He looked around the boat, but he had no food. All he had was a bottle of bourbon.

So he opened the bottle and gave the snake a few shots. The snake went off happy, the frog was happy, and the man was happy to have performed such good deeds. He thought everything was great until about ten minutes passed and he heard something knock against the side of the boat. With stunned disbelief, the fisherman looked down and saw the snake was back with two frogs!

[DavidOxon]

My apologies to Eek and additional apologies to Ian, as I know that he has seen this before but I couldn't resist::

A man went fishing one day. He looked over the side of his boat and saw a snake with a frog in its mouth. Feeling sorry for the frog, he reached down, gently took the frog from the snake, and set the frog free. But then he felt sorry for the snake. He looked around the boat, but he had no food. All he had was a bottle of bourbon.

So he opened the bottle and gave the snake a few shots. The snake went off happy, the frog was happy, and the man was happy to have performed such good deeds. He thought everything was great until about ten minutes passed and he heard something knock against the side of the boat. With stunned disbelief, the fisherman looked down and saw the snake was back with two frogs!

[harsu]

Kind of difficult to go by description but could have been a cobra. But also could have been a rat snake

Rat snake - Ngu Singh

Difficult to find pictures of a cobra without the hood up but there are a few.

As you say, even without a photo it can be difficult to identify a living, moving snake. It certainly does sound like it could be the Indo- Chinese rat snake or the Common rat snake- especially if it had big round eyes. However, having seen some dark cobras (with their hoods down) - identified for me by one of the local gardeners - out and about in the day-time here, I like to treat them all with considerable respect and distance, and admire them from afar.

[IanForbes]

There are a variety of snakes it could be, including a small cobra. But, there 's nothing to worry about. Snakes can easily track creatures through the water. they can do it via vibrations which they are very attune to. Like others have said it was probably a Rat snake. Most snakes are comfortable around water and that''s where you'll find most of them. I could dig up photos but I doubt if any would identify it correctly

[eek]

Thanks all. I appreciate the speculation on such a vague description.

Was a really amazing sight, witnessing how fast it swam to pounce and catch the frog. However..the frog took a long time to die..made a lot of noise...that was pretty tough to listen to..

Sally..thanks so much for the link. From those options i would hazard a guess at it being the "Xenochrophis piscator" (Checkered Keelback)

Thai: ThaiSnakeName-90 (ngu lai so yai, ngu daeng hae) OR.. the snake in ThaiWx's description.

Gladiator, no apology necessary

[junglechef]

Here's a few snakes that I (or my dogs) found in my garden in San Sai in the last few weeks. A Burmese Python, Striped Keelback and a water snake of some sort, as far as I could tell from looking at pics on the internet.

[ThaiWx]

Here's a few snakes that I (or my dogs) found in my garden in San Sai in the last few weeks. A Burmese Python, Striped Keelback and a water snake of some sort, as far as I could tell from looking at pics on the internet.

Wow, that Striped Keelback is one I've yet to see around here even though they're supposed to be common. Thanks for the pic. What did you do with the Python?

Edited January 6, 2011 by ThaiWx

[junglechef]

Here's a few snakes that I (or my dogs) found in my garden in San Sai in the last few weeks. A Burmese Python, Striped Keelback and a water snake of some sort, as far as I could tell from looking at pics on the internet.

Wow, that Striped Keelback is one I've yet to see around here even though they're supposed to be common. Thanks for the pic. What did you do with the Python?

I prefer to observe from a distance, take a few pics and gently place over the fence into the field but the friendly neighbors caught this one while cleaning the klong and took it home for a New Years Day dinner

Here's the Striped Keelback being brought to friendlier environs

[junglechef]

Here's a few snakes that I (or my dogs) found in my garden in San Sai in the last few weeks. A Burmese Python, Striped Keelback and a water snake of some sort, as far as I could tell from looking at pics on the internet.

Wow, that Striped Keelback is one I've yet to see around here even though they're supposed to be common. Thanks for the pic. What did you do with the Python?

I prefer to observe from a distance, take a few pics and gently place over the fence into the field but the friendly neighbors caught this one while cleaning the klong and took it home for a New Years Day dinner

Here's the Striped Keelback being brought to friendlier environs

Thought you might like to see a few more of my pics of snakes for fun. The first two are also Burmese Pythons with me, both in temples in Burma. The cobra was caught in my pool in Hua Hin (the red is the net) and I let free away from the house. The Bushmaster, a deadlier snake one won't find (which I found out later), was in a tree trunk taken from a small boat I was traveling in in Costa Rica. The guide said it was harmless and brought me to a dangerous distance. And finally this lovely Anaconda I came across while hiking in the savanah of Venezuela, and have since found that it is better to not pick them up and let them be.

[IanForbes]

thanks for those photos, Junglechef. It appears you are as fascinated by snakes as I am.

Are you sure the python you saw in Burma was a Burmese python and not a Reticulated python? I thought Reticulated pythons were the largest in the world and the Burmese python is a much smaller species. Those in your photos are BIG pythons. Reticulated pythons are native to all parts of Thailand, Burma and Laos.

And, for eek's sake, she should notice the cobra in the net. A free swimming cobra does NOT raise its hood until it's alarmed. It just looks like ever other snake. Cobras are quite slender when compared to pythons and many of the vipers such as rattlesnakes. And, most cobras have very somber colours without a lot of marking.

[junglechef]

thanks for those photos, Junglechef. It appears you are as fascinated by snakes as I am.

Are you sure the python you saw in Burma was a Burmese python and not a Reticulated python? I thought Reticulated pythons were the largest in the world and the Burmese python is a much smaller species. Those in your photos are BIG pythons. Reticulated pythons are native to all parts of Thailand, Burma and Laos.

And, for eek's sake, she should notice the cobra in the net. A free swimming cobra does NOT raise its hood until it's alarmed. It just looks like ever other snake. Cobras are quite slender when compared to pythons and many of the vipers such as rattlesnakes. And, most cobras have very somber colours without a lot of marking.

Glad you enjoyed. I like all the critters running (or crawling) around here. I was translating the Thai name my Mom-in-law was calling it but sounds like your explanation makes sense. Here's a few pics of a young (note gray color) cobra from my kitchen window.

[coma]

Colour and dimensions would suggest that it possibley a Monocled Cobra [ Ngu Haw Mo, งูเห่าหม้อ] This type of snake dwells mainly in grassy open lands and rice fields, near water where it can feed on frogs and small rats. It also can be found in built up areas. It is indeed a excellent swimmer and can also climb.. However without seeing it myself I cannot be 100% certain.

It, like all snakes in not agressive by nature towards humans. If startled it will rare up, showing it's fearsome looking hood. However if you can hold your nerve and not panick, it will most certainly take flight towards it's nesting hole.[Just pray you aren't between the snake and its hole or you will be in for some nerve racking, however brief, close contact]. LOL

IMO snake are beautiful and amazing creatures and it sounds like you had a special moment there, watching this predator hunt in its natural enviroment. Enjoy and remember, snakes keep the filthy rat population down. :jap:

[coma]

Here's a few snakes that I (or my dogs) found in my garden in San Sai in the last few weeks. A Burmese Python, Striped Keelback and a water snake of some sort, as far as I could tell from looking at pics on the internet.

Wow, that Striped Keelback is one I've yet to see around here even though they're supposed to be common. Thanks for the pic. What did you do with the Python?

I prefer to observe from a distance, take a few pics and gently place over the fence into the field but the friendly neighbors caught this one while cleaning the klong and took it home for a New Years Day dinner

Here's the Striped Keelback being brought to friendlier environs

Thought you might like to see a few more of my pics of snakes for fun. The first two are also Burmese Pythons with me, both in temples in Burma. The cobra was caught in my pool in Hua Hin (the red is the net) and I let free away from the house. The Bushmaster, a deadlier snake one won't find (which I found out later), was in a tree trunk taken from a small boat I was traveling in in Costa Rica. The guide said it was harmless and brought me to a dangerous distance. And finally this lovely Anaconda I came across while hiking in the savanah of Venezuela, and have since found that it is better to not pick them up and let them be.

You snatched that Anaconda by yourself. Good work. A little crazy, but good work. Love the pics and thanks for sharing them.