Cantoria violacea

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Cantoria violacea (Cantor’s water snake)

Cantoria violacea is a water-loving snake found in tropical Asia. It was named in honor of 19th-century herpetologist Theodore Cantor.

What it looks like
- Color: dark or black on top with narrow white cross-bands across the body; a variant called dayana has wider bands. The head may have white spots.
- Underside: white with grayish spots that align with the dorsal bands.
- Size: up to about 3 feet long, with a tail of around 4 inches.
- Scales: smooth, without pits.

Where it lives
- Distribution: Myanmar, southern Thailand, Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sumatra, Timor), India (Andaman Islands), western Malaysia, and Singapore.
- Habitat: typically found in or near water, as a true water snake.

Taxonomy
- Family: Homalopsidae
- Genus: Cantoria

Notes
- This species is adapted to an aquatic lifestyle in tropical habitats.