Puff-faced water snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Puff-faced water snake |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Homalopsis
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| Species: |
buccata
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The Puff-faced water snake (Homalopsis buccata), also known as the masked water snake, is a type of snake found in the warm, tropical areas of Southeast Asia. It belongs to the Homalopsidae family and is considered mildly venomous. These snakes spend most of their lives in water.
About the Puff-faced Water Snake
The puff-faced water snake has a cool banded pattern on its body. It can grow to be about 1 meter (or 3 feet) long. That's about the length of a baseball bat!
This snake has a body shape that might remind you a bit of a large anaconda. But instead of squeezing its prey like an anaconda does, the puff-faced water snake uses a mild venom. It has special grooved fangs at the back of its mouth to help it catch its food.
Where It Lives
You can find the puff-faced water snake in many parts of Southeast Asia. Its home stretches from northern Sumatra to Salanga Island, which are both in Indonesia. It also lives on the big island of Borneo.
These snakes are also common on the Malaysian peninsula. You can even find them in the very southern part of Thailand, near a place called Pattani. They love tropical environments with plenty of water.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Puff-faced water snakes have a unique way of having babies. They are ovoviviparous. This means the mother snake doesn't lay eggs that hatch later. Instead, the eggs develop inside her body, and she gives birth to live baby snakes!
A mother snake can have anywhere from 2 to 20 babies at one time. On average, she usually has about 9 or 10 young. Studies show that these snakes can have babies all year round. However, they might have more babies during the months of October to March.
What It Eats
The puff-faced water snake is a hunter that loves to eat things found in the water. Its diet includes many different kinds of small fish. Some of its favorite meals are tilapia, guppy, and catfish. It also enjoys eating the Asian swamp eel.
Besides fish, these snakes also snack on various types of frogs. They will also eat freshwater crustaceans, like crabs or shrimp. If a puff-faced water snake is kept in a zoo or special care, it will happily eat minnows, goldfish, and other small fish like Mollies (Poecilia). They also enjoy eating tadpoles.
