Red-necked Keelback Snake (scientific name: Rhabdophis subminiatus): is a reptile of the family Colubridae, also known as the wild chicken neck, red-necked snake, and flat-necked snake. It belongs to the rear-fanged venomous snake. It has a medium-sized body, with a total length of about 77-95 centimeters. The head and back are grass green, with slightly lighter color on the upper lip scales and some black scales in certain grooves; the ventral surface of the head is dirty white. The dorsal surface of the trunk and tail is grass green, with the neck region and the anterior part of the body between the scales having reddish skin; the ventral surface of the trunk and tail is yellowish white. The head and neck are distinct, with two parallel rows of scales on the neck and the anterior part of the body, and some individuals lack neck grooves; the eyes are relatively large, with round pupils. The upper jaw has 23-25 teeth, with the last 2 teeth suddenly enlarged and a gap between them and the teeth in front.
It is often found in the paddy fields, slow-flowing waters, and ponds of river valley dam areas, where it hunts for prey. It is active during the day and is mostly found near water ditches in agricultural areas, mainly feeding on frogs. It is distributed in the Indochina Peninsula, China, Indonesia, Nepal, and other countries.
Like cobras and other venomous snakes, the Red-necked Keelback Snake belongs to the advanced snake family. Ecological habits: it lives near ditches in agricultural areas and is active during the day. It feeds on frogs. When disturbed, the front part of its body swells and the skin in some areas expands, revealing a reddish color between the back scales, which serves as a warning. Research has found that the last two upper teeth of this snake suddenly enlarge, forming strong and non-grooved teeth. There is a gap between its front teeth, making it a rear-fanged venomous snake. However, the academic community has always regarded this snake as non-venomous. The book "China's Venomous Snakes and Snakebite Prevention and Treatment" published in 1974 explicitly classified it as a non-venomous snake... The second edition of "Chinese Herpetology" published in December 1998 also did not classify the Red-necked Keelback Snake as a venomous snake.
However, this snake has caused multiple serious injuries and even deaths in China. The fangs of the Keelback Snake are located at the back of the mouth and are rear-fanged, not the more advanced grooved fangs. It needs to bite deeply and chew to deliver venom. Generally, a single bite does not cause a severe reaction. Coupled with its mostly gentle temperament, it has not received enough attention. There is currently no corresponding serum for the bite of the Keelback Snake, and only dialysis treatment is available.
Recommended for pet lovers. Red-necked Keelback Snake (scientific name: Rhabdophis subminiatus) only has a small section of the neck that is orange-red, mixed with some dark spots. The body and head are gray, and there are also yellow speckles on the body. It is inexpensive and easy to care for.
1. Acute pneumonia
One of the common diseases in snakes. The symptoms are difficulty breathing, mouth open, reluctant to prey, staying outside the nest for a long time, and the onset is relatively sudden, which can cause a large number of deaths when severe. It often occurs during the oviposition or parturition of female snakes, because they are weak at this time, do not eat water, and the humid and hot temperature makes them susceptible to the disease. The preventive measures are to provide sufficient clean water for the female snake during oviposition (or parturition), provide good ventilation, and lower the surrounding temperature.
2. Mold disease
Common in captive snakes, especially palm pit vipers and five-step snakes. This disease often occurs in poor living environment, small range of activity, and humid environment. The main preventive measure is to keep the snake's habitat dry and provide it with a certain range of activity. Lime can also be used for damp cleaning or wrapping lime in paper and placing it on one side of the snake's nest, and replacing it regularly.
Treatment: Apply 2% iodine tincture to the affected snake's body twice a day. Or soak it in potassium permanganate solution, and it can be cured after 1 week. Mold disease should be detected and treated early, and the effect of treatment is not good in the late stage.
Do not collect venom from venomous snakes too frequently
3. Parasites
There are many types of parasites that infect snakes, including tapeworms, roundworms, nematodes, and ascarids. The snake's skin is parasitized by ticks and mites.
Treatment method: Oral administration of veterinary *** solution, dosage according to the snake's weight, continuous administration for 5 days, can kill or expel various internal parasites. In addition, drugs such as diethylcarbamazine, levamisole, and dichlorosulfonate can also be used. Ticks and mites parasitized on the skin can be treated by putting the snake in a nylon bag and soaking it in *** solution for 10 minutes, and then washing the skin with water after the ticks and mites die and fall off.
4. Snake stomatitis
It is almost the most common disease in snakes. Stomatitis is prone to occur in venomous snakes because taking venom can easily cause oral injuries. Improper repeated venom collection methods or careless operations can easily cause stomatitis. In hibernation, some bacteria are prone to invade the cheek, which can also cause stomatitis. In the feeding season, if the prey is large, fights or ingestion can also cause oral injuries and induce stomatitis. If it is artificial feeding, the incidence of stomatitis is higher. The main manifestations are swelling of the upper and lower jaws, unable to open or close the mouth, affecting eating, and sometimes the gums and forehead of the mouth appear red (normally pale), and in severe cases, there is pus overflow in some tooth sockets. Eventually, due to the spread of inflammation, the snake cannot eat water, becomes weak, and dies.
Red-necked Keelback Snake (scientific name: Rhabdophis subminiatus) is a semi-aquatic cold-blooded animal. There is a possibility of discomfort in the environment when a newly purchased Red-necked Keelback Snake is brought home. It is not familiar with people around it, so it should be given some time to adapt to the environment. It inhabits mountainous areas, hills, plains, and fields near rivers and ponds. It is nocturnal and can swim in water. It is partially aquatic, but still requires land. When keeping it as a pet, a large water bowl and hiding cave are necessary. This guy has a bad temper, so be careful not to get bitten. As you keep it for a long time, it will become more familiar and tolerant. You can buy a hiding cave on Taobao or make one yourself. The water bowl is for it to soak in. Red-necked Keelback Snakes are fierce in nature and often attack snake catchers in the wild, so their strong defensive function is normal. If they are domestically raised and adapt to the environment, their temper will become more gentle. It is not recommended to mix Red-necked Keelback Snakes with other snake species when raising them. When threatened, it will raise the front part of its body and adopt an attacking posture. It lays eggs from May to July, with 3-14 eggs per clutch. The eggs hatch naturally, with a hatching period of over one month. Red-necked Keelback Snakes mainly prey on small fish and also eat frogs and toads. When kept as pets, they can be fed fish and frogs. They also eat loaches. You can keep the fish it eats in the same enclosure. Red-necked Keelback Snakes only eat live food. This species was included in the list of beneficial or economically and scientifically valuable terrestrial wild animals protected by the State Forestry Administration of China on August 1, 2000.
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