98 



l8oo — 23OO feet); Borneo (Bandjermassin, Samarinda!). — 

 Singapore; Penang; Malay Peninsula; Siam; S. China; Yunnan; 

 Burma; Assam; E. Himalayas, 



The Rat-snake feeds on birds and frogs as well as on rats. 



3. Zamenis mucosus (L.). 



Coluber viucostis^ Linne, Syst. Nat. I 1766, p. 388. 



Zamenis nntcosus^ Boulenger, Cat. Sn. I 1893, p. 385 (s. syn.). 



Snout obtuse, projecting; eye very large. Rostral visible from 

 above; internasals shorter than the praefrontals; frontal as 

 long as its distance from the tip of the snout, as long as the 

 parietals or shorter; usually three loreals; praeocular large, not 

 in contact with the frontal; a small subocular below; two 

 postoculars; temporals 2 + 2; eight upper labials, fourth and 

 fifth entering the eye; five lower labials in contact with the 

 anterior chin-shields ; latter shorter than the posterior. Scales 

 keeled on the posterior part of the back, in 17 rows; ventrals 

 187 — 213; anal divided; subcaudals 95 — 143. 



Yellowish-brown or olive-brown above, usually with black 

 transverse bands on the posterior part of the body and on 

 the tail; lips yellow, with black edges of the labials. Lower 

 surface yellow, the posterior ventrals and subcaudals often 

 edged with black. Young specimens usually with light trans- 

 verse bands on the anterior part of the body. Length of head 

 and body 1730 mm.; tail 550 mm.; attains a length of nearly 4 M. 



Habitat: Sumatra (Deli); Java (Batavia, Semarang!, Sala- 

 tiga!, Ambarawa!, Garum!). — Singapore; Malay Peninsula; 

 Andamans; S. China; Siam; Burma; India; Ceylon; Transcaspia. 



Not as common as the preceding one. When angry this Rat- 

 snake dilates its neck and raises its head like a cobra and 

 produces a strong growling sound. The female lays 8 — 16 eggs. 



18. Coluber L. 



(LiNNK, Syst. Nat. I p. 375, 1766). 



Head long, distinct from neck; eye large; pupil round. 

 Maxillary teeth 12 — 22, equal; anterior mandibular teeth longest. 

 Body long, round or a little compressed, covered with smooth 

 or keeled scales with pits, in 15 — 35 rows; ventrals rounded 

 or angulatc. Tail long; subcaudals in two rows. 



Distribution. Europe; Asia; N. & Tropical America. 



