Dieurostus

Dieurostus is a small genus in the family Homalopsidae, the Indo-Australian mud snakes and water snakes. Our database holds a single species, the Kerala Mud Snake (Dieurostus dussumieri), known from wetlands and waterways of southern India. As a homalopsid, it belongs to a family of mostly aquatic and semi-aquatic snakes built for life in muddy, slow-moving fresh and brackish water, where they hunt fish and other small prey.

Members of this group share the general homalopsid plan: a stout body, smooth or weakly keeled scales, eyes and nostrils set toward the top of the head so the snake can breathe and watch while mostly submerged, and often valvular nostrils that close underwater. They are not constrictors in the typical sense and spend much of their lives in or near water. Identification of any specific mud snake should rely on regional guides and an expert, since many homalopsids look alike and ranges overlap.

Homalopsids are rear-fanged and mildly venomous, with enlarged grooved teeth at the back of the upper jaw and venom suited to subduing fish and small aquatic prey. They are not considered dangerous to people and bites from this family are generally minor, but no wild snake should be handled, and any bite that causes spreading pain, swelling, or other concerning symptoms warrants medical evaluation. In the United States contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or call local emergency services. As an aquatic predator, this genus feeds on fish and other small water animals, and like many homalopsids is expected to give live birth rather than lay eggs.