Report on Checkered Keelback, Fowlea piscator (Schneider, 1799) (Reptilia: Colubridae)

Department of Biology, Cantonment Public College, Saidpur Cantonment—5311, Nilphamari, Bangladesh

*Corresponding author: Ashraful Kabir, Department of Biology, Cantonment Public College, Saidpur Cantonment—5311, Nilphamari, Bangladesh, Phone: +88-01712563750, E-mail: [email protected]

Received Date: October 14, 2025

Published Date: November 06, 2025

Citation: Kabir A. (2025). Report on Checkered Keelback, Fowlea piscator (Schneider, 1799) (Reptilia: Colubridae). Mathews J Vet Sci. 9(7):90.

Copyrights: Kabir A. © (2025).

ABSTRACT

Based on the common resident and availability of the common water-snake of Bangladesh (Fowlea piscator), it is urgent to know about this non-venomous colubrid snake. In aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats, this snake was found all the year-round. Due to its availability, it was possible to know their all sorts of activities with biting record. Its biting is shown as just several dots in a line. It has red and yellow color morph. Its biting is painful but completely non-fatal. Only cleanliness of the affected area by fresh-water is enough. Around human dwelling place, only cleanliness is the method for controlling them. Domestic animals such as geese, duck, fowl, Turkey fowl, cat, and dog can be reared as biological control of this snake. This snake eats large volume of frogs, toads, insects, and rats from our crop fields.

Keywords: Checkered Keelback, Availability, Reproduction, Non-Venomous Snake, Biological Control, Bangladesh.

INTRODUCTION

Checkered keelback snake is an endemic snake of Asia and it has no subspecies. It is completely non-venomous and belongs to the family Colubridae. This snake is considered as least concern (LC) both national and international affairs. In crop fields, this snake eats large number of rats, amphibians, and insects. Additionally, other large birds like eagles, vultures, hawks, and falcons eat this snake, so in the case of ecological balance, this snake has a great impact. These snakes exhibit aggressive behavior and sometimes bite but this is not fatal for human. It has total maximum 88 teeth (17 teeth on each side of maxilla, palatine 6, pterygoid 6-10, and dentary 18-19). In nature, its longevity is 3-10 years. This snake has a great impact in ecological chain. Its diploid chromosome number is 42. Habitat loss, pollution, wrongly killed as Russell’s vipers are their possible threats. Juveniles feed primarily on tadpoles, frogs, and aquatic insects, whereas adults feed on fishes and frogs but occasionally take rodents and birds [1]. In rainy season of Bangladesh, lots of snakes are found everywhere [2]. It has a large population in the country and presumably stable at all [3]. The objective of this report is to focus this snake as a completely non-venomous snake in order to conserve.

Male (Source: [7])                                                                                          Female with eggs (Source: [8])

                                                            Hatchling                                                                                  Juvenile

Biting area

Control measures

We have a great dearth of knowledge about snakes and the management after their biting [9]. Geese, duck, fowl, Turkey fowl, cat, and dogs are used for their biological control [10]. Cleanliness around dwelling area, minimize water source near habitat, physical barrier, planting roosting sites for attracting birds are major issues to control all sorts of snakes.

CONCLUSIONS

This checkered keelback is a common resident water-snake of Bangladesh. It has no fangs and few biting records. If they bite, just wash that area with normal water. Need to know the behavior and characteristics of this non-venomous snake. Only cleanliness of the dwelling area, it is possible to control them and minimize the unnecessary fear to this snake.

REFERENCES

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3. IUCN Bangladesh. (2015). Red List of Bangladesh Volume 4: Reptiles and Amphibians. IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Bangladesh Country Office, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp. xvi+320.
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10. Brock EM. (1962). Control methods for snakes. Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 1^st. pp. 18-31.
11. Biting mark. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=23997962019834635&set=gm.4089112784740617&idorvanity=1879620169023234
12. Juvenile checkered keelback. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/juvenile-checkered-keelback-snake-1785636587?dd_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
13. Newly hatched checkered keelback. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bE9Lr5PqD8A