Black-striped Keelback

Black-striped Keelback (Rhabdophis nigrocinctus) is a snake recorded for Vietnam in the project inventory. Its supporting occurrence note is “Expert range list”. The accepted scientific name is retained because regional snake taxonomy and species boundaries can change, while similar-looking species may require scale counts, anatomy or genetic evidence for reliable separation. This profile therefore distinguishes the recorded identity and occurrence from broader biological context instead of inventing unsupported locality, size, diet or breeding details (project species data; Reptile Database taxonomy).

Rhabdophis keelbacks are water- or forest-associated snakes that often hunt frogs and other small vertebrates. Many species possess rear fangs and venom glands, while some also store defensive toxins in specialized glands along the neck after obtaining them from prey. Risk varies, but handling is unsafe. These are genus-level characteristics rather than Vietnam-specific observations of this record, and exact habitat, body size, prey and reproductive figures are omitted (general Rhabdophis account; Reptile Database).