Boulenger's Keelback

About the Boulenger's Keelback

Boulenger's keelback (Fowlea asperrima), also known commonly as the Sri Lankan keelback, is a species of water snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Sri Lanka. The common name "Boulenger's keelback" is in honour of Belgian-born British herpetologist George Albert Boulenger.

F. asperrima is found in Sri Lanka, in both dry and wet climatic zones up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above mean sea level. It is abundant in waterways, such as flooded rice fields, ponds, lakes, marshes, rivers and streams. The body of F. asperrima is short and cylindrical, and has a clear neck and slightly pointed head. The eyes have rounded pupils, and the nostrils are narrow, directed slightly upwards. The tail is long. At hatching, it is 10 cm (3.9 in) long and grows to an adult length of 40–70 cm (16–28 in). The female is longer.

F. asperrima has one pair of internasals; the posterior parts are narrow. One loreal, preocular, postocular and three temporals are found. Of the 9 supralabials, 4 and 6 connect with the eye. Ventrals number 131–146, and the undivided subcaudals are 73–93 in count. At midbody there are 19 rows of dorsal... Wikipedia →