Identification:
This snake species exhibits a slender, small body. Body length ranges from 765 to 800 mm, with a tail length of 400 to 425 mm. The head is elongated with a narrow, pointed snout that is clearly distinct from the neck. It possesses a prominent snout ridge and sharp eyes. The eyes are large, with horizontally oriented elliptical pupils. The rostral scale is wider than it is tall. The suture between the two prefrontal scales is approximately twice the length of the suture between the two internasal scales. The frontal scale is long and narrow, smaller than the supraocular scales, and shorter than the distance from its posterior edge to the tip of the snout. There are two loreal scales. A large preocular scale is present, with its upper portion contacting the frontal scale. There are 10 supralabial scales on each side, with the fourth, fifth, and sixth scales contacting the eye. There are 9 infralabial scales, with the first four contacting the first pair of chin shields; the second pair of chin shields is twice as long as the first pair. Body scales are arranged in 15 rows, smooth, and arranged diagonally. The vertebral scales (along the midline of the back) are larger than the adjacent scales. The number of ventral scales is 191, and the number of subcaudal scales is 158, with 176-186 paired. The anal scale is divided. The body is typically green, with a paler ventral surface than the dorsal surface and a translucent white stripe extending along both sides of the flanks.
Biology and Ecology:
The diet of this species consists of lizards, fledgling birds, bird eggs, and amphibians found in its habitat. Females give birth to 3-23 offspring. Newly hatched snakes are approximately 30 cm long and may be pale yellow, pale gray, or pale green. This species is diurnal (active during the day) and arboreal (lives in trees), typically inhabiting forests and cultivated areas with dense vegetation, but also occasionally found on roads.
Distribution:
- Vietnam: Kontum, Gia Lai (Chu Sê), Khánh Hoà (Cầu Đá), Ninh Thuận (Nha Hố), Tây Ninh, Đồng Nai (Trảng Bom), Vĩnh Long, Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu (Côn Đảo), Ho Chi Minh City.
- Global: This species is also distributed in Thailand (north of the Kra Isthmus), China, Myanmar, and the Indian subcontinent.