Oligodon


Oligodon

 

a genus of nonpoisonous snakes of the family Colubridae. The body length measures to 80 cm. Most species have a pattern of stripes along and across the body. There are approximately 60 species, which are distributed in the southern part of the Asian continent and in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and the Malay archipelago. In the USSR, Oligodon taeniolatus is found in southern Turkmenia. Most species inhabit rugged terrain, and many are burrowers. Oligodon feed on invertebrates and small vertebrates. Some species eat the eggs of amphibians, reptiles, and small birds, cutting through the shells with the large back teeth of the upper jaw, which are laterally compressed. Oligodon are oviparous.