Cat snake (Telescopus dhara )

The last of the 'rear-fanged' snakes found here is the cat snake (Telescopus dhara ). Growing to 95 cms it is the smallest of the three mildly toxic snakes represented in the region. Its most outstanding feature is the very large head with the distinct neck and the slit pupils that give it a viper-like appearance. It occurs in a range of colour variations, from reddish, to grey, to brown, with some animals being uniformly coloured whilst others are spotted. A nocturnal snake, it lives in the mountains and is absent from the open desert. An agile climber, it investigates trees for birds' nests with fledgelings, rock crevices for lizards and rodents and it is said to regularly prey on bats. Due to its night time activity, and since it is confined to the mountains and hills, it is seldom encountered. It is most probably the rarest of the three 'rear-fanged' snakes in the area.