Common keelback facts for kids
The common keelback (Tropidonophis mairii), also known as Mair's keelback, is a type of non-venomous snake. It belongs to the Colubridae family, which is a very large group of snakes. This snake is special because it is found only in the Australasia region.
Quick facts for kids Common keelback |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Tropidonophis
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| Species: |
mairii
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Contents
What's in a Name?
The scientific name for this snake is mairii. This name was given to honor "Dr. Mair." He was an army surgeon who helped collect the first snake of this kind.
Where Do Keelbacks Live?
Common keelbacks live in several places. You can find them in Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and Papua New Guinea. They like warm, wet areas.
What Does a Keelback Look Like?
Common keelbacks can be olive green, brown, or blackish on their backs. They often have small black spots. Sometimes, they have black stripes across their front body.
Their bellies are usually lighter in color. The scales on their backs are "keeled." This means each scale has a raised ridge, like the keel of a boat. These scales are arranged in 15 rows around the middle of their body.
Keelbacks usually grow to be about 1 meter (about 3 feet) long. They can sometimes look a bit like some venomous Australian snakes, such as the taipans.
What Do Keelbacks Eat?
Mair's keelback mainly eats amphibians, like frogs. They also enjoy small lizards.
One interesting thing about these snakes is that they can eat cane toads. Cane toads are poisonous to most other animals. But the common keelback can eat them without getting sick, as long as the toad isn't too big.
How Do Keelbacks Have Babies?
Common keelbacks are oviparous. This means the female snake lays eggs. The baby snakes then hatch from these eggs.
