''Rhabdophis plumbicolor'', known as the green keelback or lead keelback, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of non

venomous snake ''Venomous snakes'' are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Colubridae 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. C ...

native to parts of the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

Description

:''See

snake scales Snakes, like other reptiles, have skin covered in scales.Boulenger, George A. 1890 The Fauna of British India. p. 1 Snakes are entirely covered with scales or scutes of various shapes and sizes, known as snakeskin as a whole. A scale protects ...

for terminology used'' MacrophistodonPlumbicolor

''R. plumbicolor'' is stout and viper-like in body structure, and about in total length (including tail) when fully grown. The eye is moderately large. The rostral scale is just visible from above. The suture between the internasals is as long as that between the prefrontals or a little shorter. The frontal scale is as long as its distance from the end of the snout or a little longer, as long as the parietals or a little shorter. The loreal scale is as long as deep or deeper, sometimes touching the eye. There are two preoculars scales and three or four postoculars. The temporals are 2 + 3 or 4. There are 7 scales on the upper lip (supralabials), the third and fourth touch the eye; and 4 or 5 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are shorter than the posterior. The dorsal scales are strongly keeled, in 23 to 27 rows at midbody. The ventrals scutes are 144-160 in number, and the anal is usually divided. The subcaudals scales are 35-50 in number. ''R. plumbicolor'' is dull green above, uniform or with traces of black markings. Boulenger GA (1890). ''The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia.'' London: Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, printers). xviii + 541 pp. (''Tropidonotus plumbicolor'', p. 351). Young specimens show an inverted black V-mark on the neck, its apex forwards, reaching to the frontal shield, and a second much smaller one behind, the intervening space being bright yellow or orange; a black stripe from the eye to the angle of the month, and more or less regular transverse spots or cross-bars on the back and tail; belly whitish, yellow or plumbeous, rarely with darkish spots.

Behavior

In disposition ''R. plumbicolor'' is very gentle, and in threat may flatten the neck and raise the head like a cobra while other specimens may flatten the entire body on the ground.

Diet

''R. plumbicolor'' feeds mainly on toads. Smith MA (1943). ''The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III.—Serpentes.'' London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, printers). (''Macropisthodon plumbicolor'', p.315-316).

Geographic range and habitat

''R. plumbicolor'' is found in peninsular

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 ...

and

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

especially on the hills rather than on the plains. A large specimen was found at an altitude of , in the Anaimalai Hills by Mr. W. Davison. It is also found in

Pune, Maharashtra Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

, and possibly

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

Reproduction

''R. plumbicolor'' is

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that reproduce by depositing fertilized zygotes outside the body (i.e., by laying or spawning) in metabolically independent incubation organs known as eggs, which nurture the embryo into moving offsprings kno ...

Subspecies

Two

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

are recognized as being valid, including the

nominotypical subspecies In biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. ...

. *''Rhabdophis plumbicolor palabariya'' – Sri Lanka *''Rhabdophis plumbicolor plumbicolor'' – Asian mainland