THE SNAKES OF BANGKOK. 175 
foliage among which they live, must be of the greatest value. They feed 
chiefly upon lizards’ and small birds, killing the latter by constriction. 
Length. The largest specimen I have seen measured 1670 mm. 
Color (in life). Verdant green, paler below than above. A 
yellow or white line at the outer border of the ventral shields. Throat 
white. Interstitial skin in the fore part of the body, alternately white 
and black. Tris golden yellow with horizontal pupil. The young have 
generally two fairly distinct whitish lines down the middle of the belly. 
The identification of this snake is easy, the coloration, the 
elongated head with the curious tip to the snout, and the horizontal 
pupil, serving to distinguish it easily from the Green Pit Viper, the 
only other entirely green snake that is found in Bangkok. 
Distribution. India, Ceylon, Burma, Siam. This species does 
not extend into the Malay Peninsula and it would be interesting to 
find out its most southern habitat in this country. 
33. - Chrysopelea ornata. The Green and Black Tree 
Snake. 
: 4 
Siamese § (9219 (nqu khieo). 
_ Very common in Bangkok, and, owing to its partiality for 
living in houses, is the snake which is brought more into contact with 
the residents of the town than any other kind. There is probably 
hardly a house or office where it has not been met with at some time, 
and one might safely say, that of every ten snakes encountered inside 
dwelling places, eight of them would prove to be of this species. This 
partiality for living in habitations is by no means universal, but 
appears more especially to be a trait of Bangkok individuals. Its 
climbing powers are extraordinary and are shown at their best amongst 
masonry. The special formation of its ventral shields greatly assists it 
in these performances, and by taking advantage of every projection, 
erack and corner available, it is enabled to scale perpendicular walls 
and to reach positions apparently quite inaccessible. 
Chrysopelea ornata is a bold and courageous snake, and, for its size, 
extremely powerful. Its habits are diurnal. It isa voracious feeder and 
will, I believe, devour anything that it can overcome. Mice, birds, lizards 
and frogs have all been recorded as forming part of its diet, but I do 
not think that other snakes have yet been mentioned, n the stomach 
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