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Description

งูพงอ้อหัวแดง.

Calamaria schlegeli.

The Red-Headed Reed Snake, sometimes also called the Pink-Headed or White-Headed Reed Snake, is a very attractive little snake with a strong iridescence that can be found in the most southern parts of Thailand. Being rather small and nonvenomous, this burrowing serpent preys mainly on worms and small invertebrates.
While C. schlegeli itself is completely harmless, it can be quite easily confused with juveniles of the Blue Coral Snake (Calliophis birvigata) or the Red-Headed Krait (Bungarus flaviceps) which are both extremely dangerous.

Its latin name, Calamaria schlegeli, honours German ornithologist and herpetologist Hermann Schlegel, who was a firm believer of species being fixed, known for strongly opposing the theories of Charles Darwin and even rebuffed the mere idea of using a microscope.
Schlegel also did not accept the idea that rear-fanged snakes could, in fact, be venomous - a fatal fallacy that resulted in the deaths of many herpetologists handling dangerous rear-fanged snakes that were believed to be harmless due to Schlegel's conclusion (John C. Murphy, author of Secrets Of The Snake Charmer, therefore titled it "Schlegel's Curse").

Snakes Of Thailand

Description

งูพงอ้อหัวแดง.

Calamaria schlegeli.

The Red-Headed Reed Snake, sometimes also called the Pink-Headed or White-Headed Reed Snake, is a very attractive little snake with a strong iridescence that can be found in the most southern parts of Thailand. Being rather small and nonvenomous, this burrowing serpent preys mainly on worms and small invertebrates.
While C. schlegeli itself is completely harmless, it can be quite easily confused with juveniles of the Blue Coral Snake (Calliophis birvigata) or the Red-Headed Krait (Bungarus flaviceps) which are both extremely dangerous.

Its latin name, Calamaria schlegeli, honours German ornithologist and herpetologist Hermann Schlegel, who was a firm believer of species being fixed, known for strongly opposing the theories of Charles Darwin and even rebuffed the mere idea of using a microscope.
Schlegel also did not accept the idea that rear-fanged snakes could, in fact, be venomous - a fatal fallacy that resulted in the deaths of many herpetologists handling dangerous rear-fanged snakes that were believed to be harmless due to Schlegel's conclusion (John C. Murphy, author of Secrets Of The Snake Charmer, therefore titled it "Schlegel's Curse").

Snakes Of Thailand