Cerberus rynchops
Species of snake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cerberus rynchops, also known as the New Guinea bockadam, South Asian bockadam, bockadam snake, or dog-faced water snake, is a mildly venomous species of a snake in the family Homalopsidae.[1][3] It is native to coastal waters of South and Southeast Asia.[3] The species was re-delimited in 2012, allocating populations east and south of the west coast of Thailand to other species.[4]
| Cerberus rynchops | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Homalopsidae |
| Genus: | Cerberus |
| Species: | C. rynchops |
| Binomial name | |
| Cerberus rynchops (Schneider, 1799) | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
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Ecology and behaviour
It is commonly found in mangroves, mudflats, streams, ponds, tidal pools, on algae patches, and has even been found burrowing into the mud.[citation needed] It is rear-fanged and is mildly venomous.[citation needed] An aquatic and nocturnal snake, it feeds mainly on fish and is known to consume gobies (including Oxudercidae), apogonids, siganids, catfish, mullet, and eels, as well as crustaceans and frogs.[5][citation needed]
In captivity, it is observed to move in a sidewinding direction on land.[citation needed] In the BBC series 'Life in Cold Blood' it was filmed adapting this sidewinding technique to jump across a mudflat in Singapore; up until then, no snakes were considered able to truly jump.[citation needed] It also has a prehensile tail that would suggest it could climb mangrove trees.[citation needed] It is now known to give birth to live young, numbering from 8 to 30, either in water or on land.[citation needed]
It is a quite docile, mild-tempered and a hardy snake; in recent years it has become a welcome addition to snake hobbyists in the Philippines.[citation needed] It also owes its popularity to its bright yellow to orange belly coloring, mostly of females.[citation needed] In the Philippines, particularly in the Central Visayas area, this snake is commonly known as the "tangkig".[citation needed]
Description
The visibility of upper jaw, giving it a dog-like appearance. Head long and distinct from neck. Eyes small and beady, with rounded pupils. Dorsum dark gray, with faint dark blotches and a dark line along the sides of the head, across the eyes. Center cream with two distinct rows of large, diffuse dark gray spots.[citation needed]
Scales are distinctly keeled. Midbody scale rows 21–25. Ventrals 132–160. Subcaudals 49–72.[citation needed]
