Montane Trinket Snake

The Montane Trinket Snake is a subspecies of the Common Trinket Snake adapted to higher elevation habitats in the Western Ghats and other mountain ranges of India. It is generally darker in coloration than its lowland relatives.

This medium-sized non-venomous snake (up to 1.2 meters) is an agile hunter feeding on rodents, birds, lizards, and frogs. Like other trinket snakes, it is an excellent climber commonly found on rocky hillsides and in stone walls.

The Montane Trinket Snake plays an important role in mountain ecosystems by controlling rodent populations. It is found in the shola forests and grasslands of the Western Ghats, typically at elevations above 1,000 meters, where it occupies a similar ecological niche to the Common Trinket Snake at lower elevations.