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Description
งูปี่แก้วลายขีด.
Oligodon cyclurus.

Cantor's Kukri Snake is yet another member of the vast Oligodon genus and is reported from the western and central regions of Thailand. Although nonvenomous like all Kukri Snakes this species is reported to be very aggressive, biting and striking at the slightest provocation and the bleeding from such a wound can last much longer than a wound from a normal cut.

A very odd feature that was observed with this species of Kukri Snake is the defensive display of everting their hemipenes when caught or disturbed. Wolfgang Wüster and Merel J. Cox would observe several caught specimens of this snake. Additionally to rolling up their tails (which is a typical defense display of many Kukri Snakes), the snakes would also repeatedly and slowly evert their hemipenes, exposing them for few seconds and retracting them again. Both juveniles and adult animals were observed to do this (although Wüster and Cox note that juveniles were more prown to do so) and the reasonings behind this unusual behaviour is still unclear. Everting hemipenis display is otherwise also known from the highly venomous South American Micrurus frontalis and yet another Kukri Snake, Oligodon formosanus (which does not inhabit Thailand, though).

The common name of this snake honours Danish naturalist Theodore Cantor who described this species in 1839.

Snakes Of Thailand

Description
งูปี่แก้วลายขีด.
Oligodon cyclurus.

Cantor's Kukri Snake is yet another member of the vast Oligodon genus and is reported from the western and central regions of Thailand. Although nonvenomous like all Kukri Snakes this species is reported to be very aggressive, biting and striking at the slightest provocation and the bleeding from such a wound can last much longer than a wound from a normal cut.

A very odd feature that was observed with this species of Kukri Snake is the defensive display of everting their hemipenes when caught or disturbed. Wolfgang Wüster and Merel J. Cox would observe several caught specimens of this snake. Additionally to rolling up their tails (which is a typical defense display of many Kukri Snakes), the snakes would also repeatedly and slowly evert their hemipenes, exposing them for few seconds and retracting them again. Both juveniles and adult animals were observed to do this (although Wüster and Cox note that juveniles were more prown to do so) and the reasonings behind this unusual behaviour is still unclear. Everting hemipenis display is otherwise also known from the highly venomous South American Micrurus frontalis and yet another Kukri Snake, Oligodon formosanus (which does not inhabit Thailand, though).

The common name of this snake honours Danish naturalist Theodore Cantor who described this species in 1839.

Snakes Of Thailand