Jakarta –
The picung snake is a species native to Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. This animal is distinctive with a red neck which makes it look beautiful. Even though it is beautiful, don’t be fooled, because this snake is dangerous.
In this article we will review what picung snakes are in full, starting from their classification, physical characteristics, weapons and habitat.
Classification of Picung Snakes
Described in the book Reptiles of Tasikmalaya & Surroundings (2020) by Diana Hernawati and Diki Muhamad Chaidir, it is called a picung snake because the red color on its neck resembles a picung fruit.
The picung snake in English is called the red-necked keelback. While the Latin name is Rhabdophis subminiatus. The classification of this animal is as follows:
Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ReptiliaOrder: SquamataFamily: NatricidaeGenus: RhabdophisSpecies: Rhabdophis subminiatus
Physical Characteristics of Picung Snakes
The most obvious physical characteristic of the picung snake is its reddish neck.
Quoted from the Ecology Asia website, picung snakes are long and slender snakes. The head is slightly larger than the body with large eyes. Its length can reach 130 cm.
Picung snake cubs have a distinctive pattern and color, consisting of a gray head, dark gray nape, and yellowish orange back, forming olive-brown gradations and decorated with regular dark markings. At the bottom of the eye there is a dark line.
Adult snakes have a pattern that is not too complicated, namely an olive brown body, some are plain or have yellow and black markings. This mark gradates into red and yellow on the nape and head.
Picung Snake Weapon
Indeed, the red color on its neck makes the picung snake look beautiful, but this snake is venomous. The nature of this snake is not too aggressive.
Picung snakes have venom canine teeth located behind the upper jaw. These canine teeth are their weapons for biting their prey, then injecting poison, then swallowing it. This snake’s venom contains high levels of poison and is dangerous for humans.
But he prefers to avoid or pretend to die in a threatened situation. This snake will bite if it has to.
In the research journal from Ferlan et al (1983), the amount of venom that can be injected by picung snakes is around 10-15 µl (liquid volume).
This snake is active during the day on land and semi-aquatic. Its diet consists of aquatic vertebrates, such as frogs, tadpoles and fish.
Picung Snake Habitat
Picung snakes are distributed in Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Peninsular Malaysia. In Indonesia, this snake is often found in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java.
This species mostly lives in lowlands and lower mountain forests up to an altitude of about 1,800 meters.
Their habitat is wet mountain forests, rice fields, edges, swamps, wet grasslands, especially small rivers and ponds.
That’s the explanation about the picung snakes that can be found in Indonesia. This snake looks beautiful but is dangerous because its bite contains poison. So, stay alert if you encounter this snake.
Watch the video “Listen! First aid if bitten by a poisonous snake”
(bai/inf)
2023-10-26 22:45:30
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