Tropidonophis mairii, also known commonly as Mair's keelback,. www.reptile-database.org. the common keelback, and the freshwater snake, is a species of colubrid snake in the subfamily Natricinae. The species is native to Australasia.
Etymology The specific name, mairii, is in honor of "Dr. Mair", an army surgeon with the 39th Regiment of Foot, who collected the holotype.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Tropidonophis mairii, p. 166).
Geographic range Tropidonophis mairii is found in Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and Papua New Guinea.
Habitat The preferred natural habitats of Tropidonophis mairii are forest, grassland, and freshwater wetlands, at altitudes from sea level to .
Description Dorsally, Tropidonophis mairii is olive, brown, or blackish, with small black spots, or with black crossbars anteriorly. Ventrally, it is lighter. The subcaudals and often also the ventrals are edged with black. The dorsal scales are strongly keeled, and arranged in 15 rows at midbody.Boulenger GA (1897). "An account of the reptiles and batrachians collected by Dr. L. Loria in British New Guinea". Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova 18: 694-710. (Tropidonotus mairii, pp. 703-704).
It resembles the Australian venomous rough-scaled snake (Tropidechis carinatus). 688 pp.
T. mairii rarely grows over in total length (tail included).
Behavior Tropidonophis mairii is diurnal and nocturnal, arboreal, semi-aquatic, and terrestrial.
Diet Mair's keelback preys mainly on frogs, but also eats small fishes, lizards, and mammals. It is one of the few Australian snakes that can eat cane toads (Rhinella marina), up to a certain size, without being harmed.
Reproduction T. mairii is oviparous. Clutch size is 3–18 eggs.
References
Further reading Cogger HG (2014). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition. Clayton, Victoria, Australia: CSIRO Publishing. xxx + 1,033 pp. . Gray JE (1841). "A Catalogue of the Species of Reptiles and Amphibia hitherto described as inhabiting Australia, with a description of some New Species from Western Australia, and some remarks on their geographical distribution". Appendix E, pp. 422–449. In: Grey G (1841). Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-west and Western Australia, During the Years 1837, 38, and 39, Under the Authority of Her Majesty's Government. In Two Volumes. Vol. II. London: T. and W. Boone. 520 pp. (Tropidonotus mairii, new species, p. 442). Wilson, Steve; Swan, Gerry (2013). A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia, Fourth Edition. Sydney: New Holland Publishers. 522 pp. .