Cat-eyed water snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cat-eyed water snake |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Gerarda
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| Species: |
prevostiana
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| Synonyms | |
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The Gerarda prevostiana is a type of snake also known as the cat-eyed water snake or glossy marsh snake. It belongs to the family called Homalopsidae. This snake is special because it is the only species in its genus (a group of closely related species) called Gerarda. You can only find this snake in Asia.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The Name Gerarda
The first part of the snake's scientific name, Gerarda, was chosen to honor someone named "Gerard". The scientist who named it in 1849, John Edward Gray, didn't say exactly which Gerard he meant. It might have been Adam Gerard or Rev. Gerard R. Smith. Both of these people sent animal specimens to Gray at the British Museum.
The Name prevostiana
The second part of the name, prevostiana, honors a French naturalist and illustrator named Florent Prévost. Naturalists are people who study nature.
What Does It Eat?
The Gerarda prevostiana snake mostly eats crabs. This is quite unusual for a snake! Most snakes swallow their prey (the animals they hunt) whole. But this snake tears its crabs into smaller pieces. It does this by pulling the crab through its body coils.
What Does It Look Like?
This snake has a dark olive color on its back. The three rows of scales on its sides are whitish. Its upper lip is white, but the tip of its snout is dark olive. The scales on its belly and under its tail are whitish with dark edges.
The Gerarda prevostiana can grow to be about 41 cm (16 inches) long. Its tail is usually around 5 cm (2 inches) long.
Where Does It Live?
You can find the Gerarda prevostiana snake in coastal areas across Asia. Its range stretches from western India (specifically Mumbai) all the way to the eastern Philippines. It lives in many countries, including:
- India (even the Andaman Islands)
- Sri Lanka
- Bangladesh
- Myanmar
- Thailand
- Peninsular Malaysia
- Singapore
- Cambodia
- Indonesia (especially Borneo: Sarawak)
- The Philippines (Luzon)
Where Does It Like to Live?
The Gerarda prevostiana snake prefers to live in coastal areas. It especially likes places with mangrove forests. These are special forests that grow in salty water along coastlines.
How Does It Behave?
This snake spends its time on land, which means it is terrestrial. It is also nocturnal, meaning it is most active at night.
How Does It Have Babies?
The Gerarda prevostiana snake is ovoviviparous. This means that the mother snake keeps the eggs inside her body until they hatch. The babies then come out alive, rather than hatching from eggs laid outside the body.
