Rainbow water snake

දේදුනු දියබරියා · dedunu diyabariya

Enhydris enhydris

Mildly venomous

A smooth-scaled freshwater snake with an iridescent sheen.

How to identify

1Slender olive body with fine stripes

2Iridescent sheen in sunlight

3High-set eyes and nostrils

Good to know

Mildly venomous (rear-fanged) but of little danger to people. Clean the wound and monitor.

Up to 0.8 m

Length

Nocturnal & aquatic

Active

Fish and frogs

Diet

Where it's found

Dry zoneIntermediate zoneWet zone

Tanks, canals, paddy fields and marshes.