Buff Striped Keelback

The buff striped keelback is a non-venomous colubrid typically 50 to 80cm long. It is a small, slender snake, generally olive-brown to grey, with a short body and a long slender tail almost a quarter of its length. Two yellow stripes run along the sides of the spine, bright on the second half of the body, with irregular blackish crossbars near the head that fade towards the tail (Wikipedia, general species account).

The sides of the head are yellow, the nape turns red in the breeding season, and the forked tongue is black. It is typically non-aggressive and feeds on frogs and toads. It belongs to the water snake subfamily and has been likened to an Asian version of the American garter snake. It is quite common but rarely seen. In north India it hibernates 25 to 45cm underground.