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Photo thanks to Horst Flotow

This medium-sized, slender snake  inhabits lowland forests. Like other Southeast Asian keelbacks it shows preference for shallow streams and swampy areas, where it hunts for frogs, its main source of food. It is diurnal in habits.

Its body is attractively patterned with dark forward-pointed barring on the flanks, black mottling on the back of the neck, and reddish-orange and buff colouration on the body, which becomes more intense away from the neck area. The head is dark brown to blackish, and the lips and throat pale yellow or white. The underside is pale yellow. The eye is large, and the dorsal scales strongly keeled.

The Spotted Keelback is not known to be venomous, however as a precaution all keelbacks should be treated with caution since the toxicity of many species is unknown. In general keelbacks are not aggressive, however.

The Spotted Keelback ranges from Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore to Sumatra and Borneo.