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Common kukri
Scientific Name: Oligodon arnensis
Nick Name: Banded Kukri, Common Kukri
Size:
This snake is slightly thicker than its cousin -variegated kukri
Type: Non Venomous Snake
Appearance: They are reddish or grayish brown in coloration. They also bear 10 - 20 black or brown colored stripes. They have a distinctive 'V' mark on their heads that makes it easy to identify them.
The under side of the snake is white in color. Smooth glossy scales, a bent and some what arrow shaped head are the main distinctive features of the snake. They have sharp and curled in teeth that give them the name Kukri, a kind of weapon carried by watchmen. The teeth are meant to grab hold of its prey. There are around 34 sub species of Kukri snake. Out of them all, Oligodon arnensis is commonly available snake.
Nature: It is a gentle and inoffensive snake, often kept as a pet. During the rainy season, the snake is often encountered during night hours. May be they never bite. When threatened, they flatten their body and pretend to be venomous.
Distribution: Found all over India and up to an elevation of 200 mts. in the eastern Himalayan. Also found in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal.
Habitat: It is known to be common near human settlements and lives in crevices in buildings and old walls.
Feeds on: small rodents, lizards, skinks. According to M A Smith, these snakes often gulp a feast of bird and reptile eggs. The smaller ones though feed on insects.
Reproduction: The common kukri lays around 3 - 6 eggs. The young ones are seen during September.
Status: The snake is not at all available in large numbers. So, it is rarely encountered. Presence of the bands often makes people to mistake it for the Kraits and kill them.
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