Eastern trinket snake

The eastern trinket snake (Elaphe cantoris) is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to South Asia.

Etymology
The specific name, cantoris, is in honor of Danish zoologist Theodore Edward Cantor.

Geographic range
E. cantoris is found in the Himalayas in Bhutan, India (Assam, Darjeeling, Sikkim), Myanmar, and Nepal. The type locality is the Khasi and Garo Hills in Meghalaya.

Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of E. cantoris is mountain forest at elevations of 1,000 - 2,300 m.

Description
E. cantoris is a large species, and may grow to a total length (including tail) of almost 2 m. Dorsally, it has a brownish ground color, which is overlaid by a series of squarish dark brown blotches. Ventrally, it is yellowish anteriorly, becoming pinkish posteriorly.

Behavior
E. cantoris is partly arboreal.

Reproduction
E. cantoris is oviparous. In India, sexually mature females lay eggs in late July, with an average clutch size of 10 eggs.