Identification:
- A harmless, large snake, approximately 2 meters in length.
- Head is elongated and clearly distinct from the neck.
- When agitated, the neck expands front to back, unlike the cobra, which expands laterally.
- The back is gray-brown from the posterior half of the body to the tail tip, with irregular, dark bands running across the body.
- The belly is yellow, with black borders on the posterior edges of the ventral scales and the subcaudal scales.
- The head is gray-brown.
- The upper and lower labial scales have black edges where they meet.
- Males are slightly larger than females.
Biology and Ecology:
- A terrestrial snake, capable of crawling, climbing trees, and swimming well.
- Commonly found in plains and midlands, often in bushes, abandoned rodent burrows, or under bamboo thickets.
- Forages both during the day and at night, feeding on frogs, toads, lizards, and other snakes, but primarily on rodents.
- Lays approximately 9-14 eggs, with an average of 5-7 eggs per clutch, around May to July.
- Eggs are laid in leaf litter within bushes and are guarded by the mother.
- In Northern Vietnam, they hibernate from November to early March in abandoned rodent burrows.
- Exhibits aggressive defensive behavior when threatened.
Distribution:
- Vietnam: Lai Châu, Lào Cai, Yên Bái, Thái Nguyên, Lạng Sơn, Phú Thọ, Hoà Bình, Hà Nội, Quảng Ninh, Ninh Bình, Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh, Gia Lai, Đắk Lắk, Tây Ninh, Đồng Nai, Sông Bé, Hồ Chí Minh City, Kiên Giang, Cà Mau.
- Worldwide: Russia, Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia.
Value:
- Possesses scientific and aesthetic value.
- Serves as a subject for scientific research and contributes to ecological balance in nature.
- Potential economic value through captive breeding.
- Unique behavior makes it appealing.
- Can expand its neck and emit a sound.
- Capable of jumping forward to attack, especially in juveniles, and can strike upwards from a distance.
- Often displayed in zoos.
Status:
- Population has declined by at least 50%.
- Habitat and habitat quality have declined in the past and present due to environmental exploitation, urban expansion, road construction, overhunting, and illegal trade.
- Ranked as EN A1 c,d (Endangered).
Conservation Measures:
- Listed in CITES Appendix II.
- Protected under Decree 32/HĐBT, Group IB (prohibiting exploitation and use).
- Strictly enforce bans on hunting, trading, and slaughter.
- Establish collective breeding farms and encourage family breeding in villages with traditional snake-catching practices.