Indian Smooth Snake
Coronella brachyura
A small, secretive, non-venomous colubrid found across drier parts of India, rarely encountered due to its fossorial habits.
- Venomous?
- Non-venomous
- Adult length
- 0.3-0.5 m (1-1.6 ft)
- Range
- Indian subcontinent, particularly peninsular and northern India
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Overview
The Indian Smooth Snake is a small, little-studied colubrid native to the Indian subcontinent. It belongs to a genus better known from the smooth snakes of Europe, though this Asian representative leads a much more secretive existence.
It is harmless to humans and spends much of its life hidden beneath rocks, leaf litter, or loose soil, only rarely surfacing after rains or at night.
How to identify it
- Small, slender body with smooth, glossy scales
- Coloration typically brownish, grayish, or tan with faint darker markings or blotches along the back
- Head barely distinct from the neck, with a rounded snout
- Round pupils
- Adults rarely exceed 50 cm in length
- Distinguished from young rat snakes or wolf snakes by its smaller size and more uniform patterning
Habitat & range
Found in dry scrub, agricultural fields, rocky terrain, and semi-arid plains across parts of India. It favors loose, friable soil that allows for easy burrowing and often shelters under stones, logs, or within soil crevices.
Behavior, diet & reproduction
Primarily nocturnal and fossorial, spending daylight hours hidden underground or beneath surface debris. Diet likely consists of small invertebrates and possibly small reptiles, though its natural history remains poorly documented. Reproduction is presumed to be egg-laying, consistent with related colubrids.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Indian Smooth Snake dangerous?
No, it is completely non-venomous and harmless to humans.
Where does it live?
It is found in dry, scrubby, and rocky habitats across parts of the Indian subcontinent.
Why is it rarely seen?
It spends most of its life hidden underground or under surface debris, only emerging occasionally at night.
What does it eat?
It likely preys on small invertebrates, though detailed diet studies are limited.
Indian Smooth Snake guides
In-depth guides for identifying and understanding Indian Smooth Snake.
