Striped keelback

Striped keelback
Xenochrophis vittatus from Central Java
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Xenochrophis
Species:	X. vittatus
Binomial name
Xenochrophis vittatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

The striped keelback, Xenochrophis vittatus, is a species of snake found mainly in Indonesia (Bangka, Java, Sumatra, We, Sulawesi) and Singapore (introduced).

Terra typica: “America” (in error).

Ecology

This diurnal snake is found in rice paddies, ponds, small ditches, and sometimes suburban backyards and home gardens. The striped keelback is rear-fanged and mildly venomous, and is considered harmless; it typically feeds on amphibians, fish, and small lizards.

In captivity

In central Java, it is also not uncommon for striped keelbacks to be kept by children as pets. It has a reputation for being very mild-mannered and rarely bites. In the United States, wild-caught striped keelbacks are frequently imported and sold as "garter snakes", typically "Canadian garter snakes" or "Indonesian garter snakes", but they are not related to Thamnophis.