Duméril's black-headed snake

Appearance

Maximum size is 18 inches .

Rostral scale nearly twice as broad as deep; suture between the internasals a little shorter than that between the prefrontals; frontal longer than its distance from the end of the snout, as long as the parietals or a little shorter; loreal longer than deep; one preocular; two postoculars, both in contact with the parietal; temporals 1 + 2; 9 or 10 upper labials, fifth and sixth, or fourth, fifth, and sixth, entering the eye; eighth upper labial usually excluded from the labial margin, simulating a lower anterior temporal; 4 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin shields, the first lower labial usually separated from its fellow by the mental; posterior chin shields a little longer than the anterior chin shields.

Dorsal scales in 17 rows. Ventrals 151-220 ; anal divided; subcaudals 47-76.

Pale brown above, with a vertebral series of small round black spots; usually a more or less distinct dark lateral line or series of dots; head and nape dark brown or black; lips, ''canthus rostralis'', a transverse line between the eyes, and two broad cross-bands, one in front and one behind the nape, all yellow; the dark colour often extending along the median line, bisecting the yellow collar; lower surfaces yellow, each shield with a black dot near its outer border.

Sri Lankan specimens have 157 to 176 ventrals and 52-64 subcaudals.

Behavior

''Sibynophis subpunctatus'' is active by day as well as at night. It lives in leaf litter, preying on geckos, skinks, and smaller snakes.