Speckle Bellied Keelback

Southeast Asia Snakes

Snakes ~ Keelbacks ~ Speckle Bellied Keelback

The speckle-bellied keelback is a common snake found in lowland to mid-level rainforest across Asia. In Southeast Asia, it occurs in Malaysia, Thailand, Borneo, Indonesia (Sulawesi) and the Philippines. It also occurs near agricultural areas and civilised areas near natural bodies of water. This snake is marked with thin black bands that each have a small orange spot along the flanks. The ventrals are pinkish brown with Juveniles have a white chevron on the neck while adults are greenish brown with small red spots on the back.

The ventrals are white with irregular speckles along the lateral margins. This common species hunts frogs, lizards and fish in the wild. It packs a painful bite that can cause profuse bleeding but otherwise, not much is known about its venom toxicity. Its cousin, the red-necked keelback or Rhabdophis subminiatus, that occurs widely in Thailand and the Peninsular's extreme north, has been recorded to have caused severe envenomations in people.