Oligodon, common name kukri snake, is a genus of snakes native to East and South Asia. Oligodons are egglayers and are usually under 90 centimeters (35 inches) in length; different species display widely variable patterns and colorations. They subsist mostly by scavenging the eggs of birds and reptiles. Besides eggs, species of this genus also feeds on lizards, frogs and small rodents. Oligodon is a rearfanged snake species. They have a set of fangs placed in the back of their mouth as well as a functional venomgland. They are not dangerous to humans though. Oligodons are mostly nocturnal, and live on the floors of mature forests.
The common name of the genus comes from the kukri, a distinctively shaped Nepalese knife which is similar in shape to the broad, curved hind teeth of Oligodon species. These teeth are specially adapted for the Oligodon's main diet of eggs; the teeth slit open eggs as they are being swallowed by the snake, allowing for easier digestion.
Species
A partial list of species in the genus is given below:
- Oligodon albocinctus
- Oligodon arnensis
- Oligodon cyclurus
- Oligodon dorsalis
- Oligodon taeniolatus
- Oligodon venustus
- Oligodon erythrogaster
- Oligodon erythrorhachis
- Oligodon juglandifer
- Oligodon melaneus
- Oligodon melanozonatus
- Oligodon nikhili
- Oligodon templetoni
- Oligodon cinereus
- Oligodon catenata
- Oligodon brevicauda
- Oligodon woodmasoni
- Oligodon theobaldi
- Oligodon affinis
- Oligodon sublineatus [1]
References
- "Kukri snake". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 7, 2005.
- "Brown Kukri Snake". Wildlife Singapore. Retrieved July 7, 2005
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