Aquatic Snakes: Mud Snakes

Features

Homalopsine snakes are found in freshwater and marine habitats from India to northern Australia and exhibit a wide diversity of form and function. These water snakes are characterized by dorsally-oriented eyes and valvular nostrils. Some species are marine (the keel-bellied water snake, Bitia hydroides), some occur mainly in mangrove swamps, estuaries and coastal rivers (the crab-eating water snake, Fordonia leucobalia, and the dog-faced water snake, Cerberus rynchops), and others are found in freshwater streams and lakes and are semi-aquatic (the rainbow water snake, Enhydris enhydris, and the plumbeous water snake, Enhydris plumbea).

The homalopsines are rear-fanged snakes. Toxic secretions from glands in the back of the mouth drip into grooves on the rear teeth when the snake bites its prey. Most homalopsines are small and are not considered dangerous to humans. The diet of most homalopsines consists of fish and frogs, although at least one species specializes on crabs (crab-eating water snake, Fordonia leucobalia). All homalopsine snakes bear live young.

The homalopsines are particularly interesting because they offer a fascinating evolutionary case study in the morphological, physiological, behavioral and ecological changes associated with the shift from terrestrial to marine life styles.

Field projects have been conducted in Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and Thailand.

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