When February 2015 Weather: Hot 25C
I’d shot some pictures of the Rainbow Water Snake that we found on the road in Neo Tiew a few days ago and was not very impressed with its coloration or rather its lack of coloration.
The first Rainbow water snake was a dull brownish fellow with stripes…I’d wondered how it ever got the name ‘rainbow’..it was anything but….
That first fellow was tiny as you can see in this photo…
So J and I went herping again in Neo Tiew..we drew a blank at the cemeteries, not a serpent to be seen at all. Reexploring the Neo Tiew area, we found a body of water and before long J had spotted a couple of snakes in the water and they turned out to be much bigger and more interesting specimens….Enhydris enhydris or the rainbow water snake, an introduced species to Singapore, but widespread in south east Asia
pair of rainbows..
The larger of the two was quite spectacular, with a small head and large spindle shape body…looking metallic bronze and black
beautifully patterned head with 2 yellow stripes running back the length of the snake
another head view
The bronzish stripes took on a more yellowish orange hue at certain angles
close up of yellow scales
turning off the flash revealed the glorious rainbow colours!
colours of the rainbow
so the rainbow snake did live up to its name after all!
The Natural Traveller 