Sunbeam Snake

Xenopeltis unicolor is a type of snake that belongs to the Xenopeltidae family. This snake is named rainbow because the transparent coating on its scales refracts the rainbow colors from the sunlight. In English it is called by the name sunbeam snake. The dorsal side of the body is brown or blackish gray, evenly distributed and shiny when exposed to light. Dorsal scales in 15 rows. The bottom row is white, the next few rows are like the usual back color but with white borders. The underside of the body (ventral) is white. Young snake with white head and neck, except for brownish snout. This white color gradually disappears as the snake grows. The shield (large scales) above the crown of the head is shaped like a rhombus. Unlike most snakes, the right and left parietal shields (temples) do not touch; it is separated by the attachment of the frontal shield (forehead, between the eyes) to the large middle occipital shield. The four shields were almost the same size, and together they formed an even larger rhombus shape. The tail is short, about a tenth of the body length or less.