Cerberus rynchops

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Please improve this article if you can. (December 2006)

Dog-faced Water Snake

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Cerberus
Species:	C. rynchops

Binomial name

Cerberus rynchops
(Schneider, 1799)

New Guinea bockadam or Dog-faced Water Snake Cerberus rynchops is a species of snake found in coastal waters of Asia and Australia.

C. rynchops is commonly found in mangroves: mudflats, streams, ponds, tidal pools, on algae patches, and has even been found burrowing into the mud. C. rynchops is a mildly venomous, nocturnal aquatic snake, which feeds mainly on fish.

[edit] Distribution

This is a saltwater tolerant species found in Australia (North Territory, Queensland, West Australia), New Guinea, Indonesia (Ambon, Babi, Bacan = Batjan, Bali, Bangka, Buru, Butung, Dolak, Enggano, Flores, Goram, Halmahera, Java, Kalimantan, Lombok, Mentawai Archipelago, Nako, Natuna Archipelago, Nias, Riau Archipelago, Roti, Sangihe Archipelago, Saparua, Seram, Simeulue, Singapore, Sulawesi, Sula Archipelago, Sumatra, Sumba, Sumbawa, Talaud Archipelago, Ternate, Timor, We, Western New Guinea, Wetar); Bangladesh, Cambodia, India (including Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia, incl. Pulau Tioman), Burma (Myanmar), Philippine Islands (including Palawan, Panay, Luzon); Singapore; Sri Lanka; Thailand and Vietnam. Race novaeguinea is found in Indonesia (Western New Guinea). Type locality: "Ganjam" (Orissa State, SE India)

[edit] References

Boulenger, George A. 1890 The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii, 541 pp.
Karns,D.R.; O'Bannon,A.; Voris,H.K. & Weigt,L.A. 2000 Biogeographical implications of mitochondrial DNA variation in the Bockadam snake (Cerberus rynchops, Serpentes, Homalopsinae) in Southeast Asia. J. Biogeography 27: 391-402
Schneider, J. G. 1799 Historiae Amphibiorum narturalis et literariae. Fasciculus primus, continens Ranas. Calamitas, Bufones, Salamandras et Hydros. Jena, 266 S.