Orange Necked Keelback

Snakes ~ Keelbacks ~ Orange Necked Keelback

The orange-necked keelback is a common species distributed in lowland rainforest across the Peninsular. The body is black with a series of faint white bands. The head and neck are tinged with a rich red or orange hue. The ventrals are greyish white. In juveniles, an orange band is present below the head and above the neck.

The white bands are also well-defined till it reaches adulthood. This keelback species hunts frogs, lizards and fish in the wild. The rear-fangs are of special note as some individuals exhibit forked fangs of impressive length. When feeling threatened, this species may secrete a liquid from the nuchal gland as well as producing an extremely foul-smelling musk. This species ranges across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Borneo in Southeast Asia.