24 

 THE DHAMAN OR RAT SNAKE {Zamenis muoosus). 



Length— A large snake, six, seven or eight feet long, and 

 3, 4 or 5 inches in girth. Tail, one-fifth to 

 one-third of length. 

 Shape— lleeid : distinct, rather short and broud. 



Body : elongate and somewhat compressed but 



stout. 

 Tail : tapering. 

 Eye : large, pupil round, iris golden. 



Head shields— Normal The supra-oculars overhang 

 and shelter the eye. Two prfe-oculars, the 

 upper reaching right into the crown of the 

 head. Generally 3 loreals. Two nasals. The 

 head shields, especially the 8 supra-labials, 

 have black margins. 



Scales— 17, not markedly keeled, except perhaps the 

 middle rows towards the tail. 



Ventrals—19G to 208 ; anal bifid. Sub-caudals, 108—134, 

 double. 



Colouring — Brownish, yellowish olive or very dark 

 olive green ; with interstitial skin-colouring 

 of yellow and black. Scales with black tips. 

 Ventrals have thin posterior black edges, with 

 a row of black dots on each side of them. 

 This on the double sub-caudals makes a re- 

 ticuled pattern on the tail. Belly greenish or 

 yellowish white. 

 When young is often a delicate green colour, 

 unlike the adult. 



Habitat — Very common in India. 



* JHy<fi mucosuso (NipboUon), 



