Diurnal and non-venomous snake recorded from wet and intermediate zones of lowlands to mid hills. However there are references
of finding it from Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Trincomalee of northern dry zone*. Arboreal and feeds on
frogs, geckos, skinks and agamid lizards. Sometimes descends to the ground and
it is said that when moving on the ground it has a habit of keeping its head
and part of fore body erect(Snakes of Sri Lanka A coloured atlas – Anslem de
silva & jayantha Jinasena - 2009). This picture of Boulenger’s bronze-back
devouring probably a Spotted tree frog was taken in a shrub jungle of Ambagaspitiya
of Gampaha district.
* Though Anslem de Silva (Snakes of Sri Lanka A coloured atlas –
Anslem de silva & jayantha Jinasena - 2009) has given Wall (1921) as the reference
for its distribution in Mulativu and Vavuniya there is not such a mentioning in
Frank Wall’s Snakes of Ceylon(1921) page 218 where distribution of Dendrelaphis
bifrenalis only includes Punagalla, Yatiyantota, Balangoda and Galle.
Wow! What a captured moment! Grate picture!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! :)
Thanks Gabi!!!
ReplyDeleteActually this is only one photo of series of pictures I have taken of this moment. Frog was half devoured when I encountered it and I could watch desperate attempt of frog to get rid of snake's hold but without success. It took about half an hour for snake to finish of the frog.
Thanks Gabi!!
ReplyDeleteThis is just a single shot of series of pictures I have taken of this event. Snake took about half an hour to finish of the frog. Initially frog tried to escape away from snake by desperately scratching snake's head by its arms but without success.
Wonderful capture! Quite intriguing. It looks a pretty big meal.
ReplyDeleteThanks Amila!!!
ReplyDelete