The yellow-spotted keelback (''Fowlea flavipunctata'') is a species of

colubrid Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from , 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest fossil species of the family date back to the Late Eocene epoch, with earlier origins suspected. Colu ...

snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

found in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

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China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, West

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

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(

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Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

, and

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), Bangladesh Its type locality is: Island of Hong Kong (

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

) and

Canton River The Pearl River (, or ) is an extensive river system in southern China. "Pearl River" is often also used as a catch-all for the watersheds of the Pearl tributaries within Guangdong, specifically the Xi ('west'), Bei ('north'), and Dong (' ...

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

includes Taiwan in the range of ''F. flavipunctata'', but excludes India, Malaysia, and Indonesia. ''F. f. schnurrenbergeri'' of

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

is now considered an independent species, ''

Fowlea schnurrenbergeri ''Fowlea schnurrenbergeri or Xenochrophis schnurrenbergeri'' (Bar-necked keelback, Kramer's keelback) is a species of Non venomous snake in the family Colubridae. It is found in Nepal, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Description Bar-necked Kee ...

''.

Habitat and behaviour

''F. flavipunctata'' is a semiaquatic snake that occurs in slow rivers and streams, marshes, swamps, ponds, and lakes. It thrives also in wet human-modified habitats, including rice fields and ditches. It feeds on fish and frogs. It is diurnal.

Relations with humans

''F. flavipunctata'' is exploited in parts of its range to support snake farms and pigs and for use in snake wine.

References

* Hallowell, E.; 1861 "Report upon the Reptilia of the North Pacific Exploring Expedition, under command of Capt. John Rogers, U.S.N." ''Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia'' 12

860 __NOTOC__ Year 860 ( DCCCLX) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * June 18 – Byzantine–Rus' War: A fleet of about 200 Rus' vessels sails into the Bosphorus, and starts ...

480 - 510 Fowlea Reptiles of Cambodia Reptiles of China Reptiles of Laos Reptiles of Taiwan Reptiles of Thailand Reptiles of Vietnam Reptiles described in 1860 Taxa named by Edward Hallowell (herpetologist) {{Natricinae-stub