Thai National Parks

Species of Thailand

Puff-faced mud snake

Homalopsis buccata

(Carolus Linnaeus, 1758)

In Thai: งูหัวกะโหลก, ngu hua galog

Homalopsis buccata (puff-faced water snake or masked water snake) is a species of mildly venomous snake in the Homalopsidae family found in tropical areas of Southeast Asia.

Description

Upper labials 1–4 contact single loreal; two prefrontals; 33–40 dorsal scale rows at mid-body, usually reduced to fewer than 30 posteriorly; one postocular plus a postsubocular; 12 (11–14) upper labials; ventral count fewer than 166.

Homalopsis buccata has a banded pattern and usually reaches 1 meter (3 feet) in length. They have a somewhat similar body build to the anaconda, but instead of constriction they use a mild venom from a grooved rear fang to subdue prey.

Distribution

H. buccata ranges from northern Sumatra to Salanga Island, Indonesia and Borneo; it is present on the Malaysian peninsula and in extreme southern Thailand (vicinity of Pattani).

Reproduction

H. buccata are ovoviviparous, meaning they do not lay eggs but rather give birth to live young. Females give birth to 2-20 live young, with an average of 9.26 young per breeding. Studies have shown this species breeds year round, with a peak season of October–March (though no distinctive breeding season was found).

Diet

H. buccata prey are said to include: tilapia, guppy, catfish, Asian swamp eel, various other small fish, a variety of frogs, freshwater crustaceans.

In captivity, the species feeds readily on minnows, goldfish, various cichlid fish, tilapia, Mollies (Poecilia), and tadpoles.

This article uses material from Wikipedia released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike Licence 3.0. Eventual photos shown in this page may or may not be from Wikipedia, please see the license details for photos in photo by-lines.

Scientific classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Squamata
Suborder
Serpentes
Family
Colubridae
Genus
Homalopsis
Species
Homalopsis buccata

Common names

  • German: Boa-Wassertrugnatter
  • English:
    • Puff-faced mud snake
    • Linne’s water snake
    • Masked water snake
    • Puff-faced water snake
  • Thai:
    • งูหัวกะโหลก, ngu hua galog
    • งูเหลือมอ้อ, ngu leuam oor

Synonyms

  • Homalopsis buccata, John C. Murphy & Harold K. Voris (2014)
  • Homalopsis buccata, Nguyen Van Sang et al. (2009)
  • Homalopsis buccata, Merel J. Cox et al. (1998)
  • Homalopsis buccata, Ulrich Manthey & Wolfgang Grossmann (1997)
  • Homalopsis buccatus, André Marie Constant Duméril & Gabriel Bibron (1854)
  • Homalopsis buccata, Hermann Schlegel (1837)
  • Homalopsis monilis, Friedrich Boie (1827)
  • Homalopsis horridus, Heinrich Kuhl & Johan Coenraad van Hasselt (1822)
  • Coluber horridus, François Marie Daudin (1803)
  • Vipera buccata, François Marie Daudin (1803)

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN3.1)

Least Concern (IUCN3.1)

Photos

Please help us review our species pages if wrong photos are used or any other details in the page is wrong. We can be reached via our contact us page.

Homalopsis buccata

Public domain Nelly de Rooij

Homalopsis buccata

Range Map

Distribution map of Puff-faced mud snake, Homalopsis buccata in Thailand
  • Betong District, Yala
  • Hat Yai District, Songkhla
  • Khok Pho District, Pattani
  • Mueang Narathiwat District, Narathiwat
  • Mueang Pattani District, Pattani
  • Mueang Satun District, Satun
  • Na Mom District, Songkhla
  • Su-ngai Kolok District, Narathiwat
  • Tak Bai District, Narathiwat
  • Thale Ban National Park
Range map of Homalopsis buccata in Thailand