Anderson's stream snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anderson's stream snake |
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Opisthotropis
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| Species: |
andersonii
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The Anderson's stream snake is a type of snake that lives in parts of Asia. Its scientific name is Opisthotropis andersonii. People also call it the Anderson's mountain keelback. This snake belongs to a large group of snakes known as the Colubridae family.
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Where Did Its Name Come From?
The second part of the snake's scientific name, andersonii, is a special tribute. It was named after a Scottish scientist named John Anderson. He was a herpetologist, which means he studied reptiles and amphibians.
Where Does It Live?
The Anderson's stream snake can be found in two main places in Asia. These are Hong Kong and Vietnam.
What Is Its Home Like?
This snake likes to live in certain natural places. It prefers forests and wet areas near fresh water, like wetlands. You can find it in places that are quite high up, usually between 300 and 900 meters (about 980 to 2,950 feet) above sea level.
What Does It Look Like?
The Anderson's stream snake has a unique appearance. Its back, or dorsum, is a dark olive-black color. Its belly, or venter, is whitish. However, its chin and the scales around its mouth are brown.
The snake has a short, wide, and somewhat flat snout. It has special scales on its head, including a single scale called a prefrontal scale. It also has one pair of chin shields, which are scales under its chin.
Its body is covered in 17 rows of scales along its entire length. The scales on its neck are smooth. In the middle of its body, the scales are a bit rough, or feebly keeled. On its tail, the scales are very rough, or strongly keeled.
Adult Anderson's stream snakes are not very long. They usually grow to be about 38 to 46 centimeters (about 15 to 18 inches) long. This measurement includes their tail. The tail itself makes up about 15 to 20 percent of the snake's total length.
How Does It Have Babies?
The Anderson's stream snake reproduces by laying eggs. This means it is an oviparous animal. The mother snake lays eggs, and then the baby snakes hatch from these eggs.
