Black-headed Royal is one of the largest Colubrid family member of Indian subcontinent. With size up to 2 meter and beautiful appearance of yellow-orange and black color body this species is accepted to be iconic snake for Western India. Morphologically it bears two or three distinct forms in patterns in three life stages in which adults can be easily identified by having reddish-brown or orange color with more or less black patches in whole body.
🗒 Synonyms
| synonym | Spalerosophis atriceps Baig et a. 2007 |
| synonym | Spalerosophis atriceps Khan 2002 |
| synonym | Spalerosophis atriceps Minton 1966 |
| synonym | Spalerosophis atriceps Sharma 2004 |
| synonym | Spalerosophis atriceps Wallach et al. 2014 |
| synonym | Zamenis diadema Fischer, 1885 |
| synonym | Zamenis diadema var. atriceps Fischer 1885 |
🗒 Common Names
| English |
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| Other |
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📚 Overview
Summary
Reptile group
snakes
Diagnostic Keys
Head:
Rostral broader than high; supralabial 10-13; series of small subocular separates them from eyes; prefrontals broken into small scales unlike typical Colubrids; loreal 2, one behind the another; preocular 2; postocular 3 or 4; anterior temporals 3 or 4 of small size.
Dorsal:
Lightly keeled scales in 27/29/31/33 at mid body, 2 or 4 less on neck, 19/21 on posterior body.
Ventral:
216-250 (278 ventral found in a female from Gilgit); anal divided or undivided.
Sub Caudal:
82-112; divided.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
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No Data
📚 Nomenclature and Classification
References
eng: Royal Snake
Curated from The Reptile Database
| Attributions | Curated from The Reptile Database |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Natural History
Reproduction
Reproductive mode (Reptiles)
Oviparous
Oviparous. Mating begins from late winters to monsoon. New born seen during all monsoon months.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Morphology
Dorsal -
Body stout, robust and covered with less glossy scales. Lightly keeled oval shaped scales present mostly on the top dorsal of posterior side.
Adult: Color yellow, yellowish-brown or orange. various amount of blackish color patches present in irregular manner from neck to tail.
Subadult and Juveniles: Dorsal scales orange mixed with brown or yellow color mostly; series of same shaped patches present on the top of dorsal which have darker color than ground surface. Blackish scales also present in few places which become dominant in adult stage. These blackish scales absent in hatchlings.
Ventral -
Belly color pinkish-red or with blackish color patches arranged irregularly at few places. Subcaudal scales paired in zig-zag manner.
Head -
Head elongated, triangular and clearly broader than neck. Covered with fragmented shields. Large eyes have rounded pupil. There are two most common patterns in two life stages.
Adults: Head color blackish, bluish black or dark red color; white color present on upper lip few times.
Juveniles and newborns: Have totally different markings like an arrow; usually one dark and bent line joins eyes followed by arrow shaped marking which reaches to the end of the head or remain in the form of triangular spot, may or may not join with the curve joining eyes. Upper lips whitish.
Tail-
Long tail of same dorsal color with black patches, juveniles and subadults have irregular shape patterns or plain.
Long tail of same dorsal color with black patches, juveniles and subadults have irregular shape patterns or plain.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Look Alikes
Looks unique in adult stage and can be identified easily but young stage of this species looks similar to: Red-spotted Royal Snake (Spalerosophis arenarius) and Glossy-bellied Racer (Platyceps ventromaculatus)
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Behaviour
Black-headed Royal Snake is a nocturnal species which can show activity at dim light of daytime also. Activity both terrestrial and climbing. Locomotion serpentine in moderate speed. Behavior alert but usually calm. On threatening it coils whole body and hiss loudly with pressure cooker whistle like sound and gives mock attacks.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Trophic Strategy
Feeds on rodents, birds, lizards, small mammals etc.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Habitat and Distribution
General Habitat
Distributed in deserts, semi-deserts, degrading lands of its range. Found in wide range of elevations up to 6560ft. This species is confined in urban settlement of many parts of its range in North India and often seen at heights of buildings. Choose mounds, rodent holes, crevices etc. for roosting.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Description
Found in deserts and semi deserts of Northern-western India from Kutch (Gujarat) to non-Himalayan parts of Jammu & Kashmir. Also found in Nepal and Pakistan.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Endemic Distribution
Endemic to Indian subcontinent.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Occurrence
No Data
📚 Demography and Conservation
Threats
Killing due to misidentification and large size are intentional threats to this species. Road-kill mortality and loss of habitat (undisturbed dry lands) are additional causes. This species is exploited by West Indian snake charmers for display and under high demand for pet trade.
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Protection Legal Status
Wildlife Protection Act (1972): Schedule 4
indiansnakes.org
| Attributions | indiansnakes.org |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
No Data
📚 Uses and Management
📚 Information Listing
References
- Uetz, P., Freed, P. & Hošek, J. (eds.), The Reptile Database, http://www.reptile-database.org, accessed 11/12/2018
Overview > Diagnostic > Diagnostic Keys
- Baig K. J., Masroor R. (2008) The snakes of the genus Spalerosophis Jan, 1865 in Indo-Pakistan and Iran (Squamata: Serpentes: Colubridae). Herpetozoa 20 (3/4), pp. 109-115
- Whitaker R., Captain A. (2004) Snakes of India, The Field Guide. Draco Books
- Smith M. A. (1943) The fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma including the whole of The Indo-Chinese Sub-region, Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol 3 Serpentes. Taylor & Francis, London.
- Baig K. J., Masroor R., Arshad M. (2008) Biodiversity and ecology of the herpetofauna of Cholistan Desert, Pakistan. Russian Journal of Herpetology 15 (3), pp. 193-205
- Wallach V., Williams K. L., Boundy J. (2014) Snakes of the World: A catalogue of living and extinct species. Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
- Masroor R. (2012) A contribution to the herpetology of Northern Pakistan. Ithaca SSAR
- Corlett R. T. (2011) Vertebrate carnivores and predation in the oriental (Indomalayan) region. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 59 (2), pp. 325–360
- Whitaker R. (2005) Common Indian Snakes, A Field Guide. Macmillian Publishers
- Saikia U., Sharma D. K., Sharma R. M. (2007) Checklist of the reptilian fauna of Himachal Pradesh, India. Reptile Rap (8), pp. 6-9
- Schätti B., Tillack F., Helfenberger N. (2009) A contribution to Spalerosophis microlepis Jan, 1865, with a short review of the genus and a key to the species. Herpetozoa 22 (3/4), pp. 115 – 135
Information Listing > References
- Uetz, P., Freed, P. & Hošek, J. (eds.), The Reptile Database, http://www.reptile-database.org, accessed 11/12/2018
No Data
🐾 Taxonomy
| Root | Root |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Reptilia |
| Order | Squamata |
| Family | Colubridae |
| Genus | Spalerosophis |
| Species | Spalerosophis atriceps (Fischer 1885) |
📊 Temporal Distribution
📷 Related Observations
