Snakes: Snakes in India- in detail

There are over 2000 types of snakes in the world out of which approximately 200 are found in India. They can be different from a worm snake which is approximately 10 cms to a snake which can be 6 mts long. They live at almost all places in warm seas, semi deserts, swamps, lakes and even Himalayan glaciers up to an elevation of 500 mts.

The main type of snakes from India are :
Common Worm Snake also known as Typhlina bramina. It is a small worm like snake found almost all over india and lives in the elevation of hills up to 1000 mts.

Perrotet's Shield-tail Snake also known as Plectrurus perroteti. Found in the west coast of India a small snake mainly found in The western Ghats of Nilgiri abd Annamalai hills.

Indian Rock Python also known as Python molurus. It is a large thick-bodied snake found in many parts of India. It ranges from the mangrove forest to arid scrublands and dense rain forest of the eastern Himalaya up to an elevation of about 2000 mts.

Common Sand Boa known as Eryx conicus. It is a short and thick-bodied snake. Mainly found in the plains and low hills of India. Being nocturnal they hunt after it gets dark.

Red Sand Boa also known by the name of Eryx johnii. These are medium sized snakes with a very blunt tail. It is found in the drier parts of land.

Common Wolf Snake named as Lycodon aulicus. A small snake thin and proportionate its height found throughout India. It occurs at an elevation of about 2000 mts in the hills.

Banded Kukri known as Oligodon arnesis. It is a small snake having prominent cross bands on its body. It is found all over India and can go up to an elevation of 200 mts. Found mainly in eastern Himalayan.

Stripped Keelback also named as Amaphiesma stalata. They are medium sized snakes. They resemble with the water snakes. They are found all over India and can go up to an elevation of 2000 mts. In the hills.

Green Keelback is also names as Macropisthodon plumbicolor. They are medium in size. And are found in the forest region of India. They can go to an elevation of 1500 mts.

Checkered Keelback Watersnake also names as Xenochropis piscator. Medium sized snake which can elevate up to 3000 mts.

Olive Keelback Watersnake also named as Altritium schistosum. It can be small as well medium sized snake. They are found in central and peninsular india. And can go to an elevation of about 1000 mts.

Trinket Snake is also named as Elaphe halena. It is a medium sized snake. It is found all over India to an elevation of 4000 mts. In the Himalayas.

Rat Snake is also known as Ptyas muscosus. It is found upto an elevation of 4000 mts. And is a large scaled snake. It can adapt to any environment. They are rat-eaters.

Banded Racer known as Argyrogena fasicolatus. This snake prefers to live in tall grass and bushes and is small to medium sized and is found in plains of India.

Royal Snake also named as Spalerosophis diadema. It is found in the drier tracts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu hills and Himachal Pradesh. The size of the snake is medium to large. And it can elevate 2000 mts.

Bronze-back Tree Snake is known as Dendrelaphis tristis. These type of snakes prefers low bushes and thorny trees. And can elevate of 2000 mts in the Himalayas. The size of the snake is medium and it is found all over India.

Flying Snake is named as Chrysopelea ornata. It is found in the forest of southwest India and even northeastern parts of the country. North of Bihar and Orissa. The size of the snake is medium sized. These snakes prefer to live on large trees and appear to glide for some distance.

Vine Snake named as Ahaetulla nasutus. It is found all over India except in the northwest and parts of Ganga Plain. The size is medium to large sized. They can occur at an elevation of 2500 mts and prefer to live in low bushes and trees.

Common Cat Snake also by the name of Boiga trigonata. These are nocturnal in habit . These snakes prefer to spend the day time in cool place. The size of the snake is small to medium. It is found all over India up to an elevation of 3000 mts.

Dog-faced Water snake is named as Cerberus rhynchops. It is a medium sized snake and is found in the coastal tracts. They normally prefer to live in muddy and rocky areas in estuaries, mangrove swamps, salt pans and deserted creeks.

Common Krait also named as Bungarus caeruleus. These snakes are found almost all over India up to an elevation of 1700 mts. The habit of this snake is nocturnal. The size of this snake is medium and it has white thin bands on its body.

Banded Krait named as Bungarus caeruleus. These snakes have prominent yellow and black bands on its body. The size of the snake is medium. They are found in northeast India, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They can be found up to an elevation of 1500 mts.

Sleder Coral Snake also named as Callophis melanurus. This type of snake is found in all parts of the country except northeast India, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. They can go up to an elevation of 1500 mts. It is small in size.

Indian Spectacled Cobra also known as Naja naja naja. They eat frog, toads, rodents, birds and small snakes. They can elevate of about 4000 mts. The size is medium to large. They are found all over India.

Indian Monocled Cobra is also named as Naja naja kaouthia. The habit of these snakes is nocturnal. They are found in northeast parts of India Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal. They are medium-sized snakes.

King Cobra is also names as Ophiophagus hannah. This type of snakes have distinct cross bands on its forebody. These are large sized snakes. The length of these snakes is up to 5 mts in length. They are found in dense forests of South India Himalayan foothills, Orissa, Bihar, West Bengal and North east India up to an elevation of 2000 mts.

Hook-nosed Sea Snake is also named as Enhydrina schistosa. The body of these snakes is flattened body and tail. The size is medium sized. They are found along the coast and coastal islands. Seasonally they are also found in deep sea though they prefer coastal areas.

Russell's Viper named as Vipera russellii. The ya re found all over India in plains as well as hills up to an elevation of about 3000 mts. The size of the snake is medium to large. They have bright patterns on its body.

Saw-scaled Viper is named as Echis carinatus. They can occur in area as high as 2000 mts. In northwestern Himalayas. Usually a small sized snake and is found all over India mainly in the plains.

Bamboo Pit Viper is also named as Trmeresurus gramineus. Found in the hills of central and eastern India. It prefers cold, thick vegetation along watercourses and bamboos and other dense foliage. They are smaller in size and have triangular head.

These were 30 out of 200 different types of snakes found in India.
There are even other types of snakes some of them are
1. Slender Worm Snake (Typhilina porrectus)