Dog-Faced Water Snake

24.03.2025

Dog-Faced Water Snake

Why in the news?                        

           A dog-faced water snake (Cerberus rynchops) has been recorded for the first time in Northeast India, far from its known coastal habitat.

About Dog-Faced Water Snake:

• It is a rear-fanged, mildly venomous, semi-aquatic
• It belongs to the family Homalopsidae, which refers to Indo-Australian rear-fanged water snakes.
• Scientific Name: Cerberus rynchops

Distribution of the Snake:

• • It typically resides in mangroves, coastal mudflats and estuarine habitats throughout Southeast Asia and northern Australia.
  • In India, it has been recorded in coastal regions such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
  • They spend the majority of their life in some type of water. Salt glands allow them to live in marine environments because they can expel salt through them in order to survive.
• The species hunts fish and crustaceans in shallow waters employing a ‘sit-and-wait’ strategy to ambush prey.

Features of the Snake:

• They can grow to about 1m long.
• They are characterized by a wide head and snout, which is where the epithet "dog-faced water snake" comes from.
• They are striped and dark brown with a white underbelly.
• The snake is adapted for slow-moving, shallow, and murky waters.
• It can swim well. On soft mud, it moves quickly by sidewinding.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Least Concern

                                                      Source: The Hindu

Consider the following statements regarding Dog-Faced Water Snake, recently seen in the news:

1. It is endemic to northeast India.

2. It is classified as ‘Endangered’ under the IUCN Red List.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A.1 only

B.2 only

C.Both 1 and 2

D.Neither 1 nor 2

Answer D