Colubridae
Sharma's Racer
HarmlessPlatyceps bholanathi
6 photographs of the Sharma's Racer. © Viral joshi.
The Sharma's Racer (Platyceps bholanathi) is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family, recorded in 1 country.
- Family
- Colubridae
About the Sharma's Racer
Platyceps bholanathi, also known as the Nagarjun Sagar racer, Nagarjunasagar racer, Nagarjuna racer, Bhola Nath's racer, or Sharma's racer, is a species of colubrid snake. It is found in peninsular India, in the Eastern Ghats and the Deccan Plateau, in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. It is a rather recently described species, that was first discovered in 1976, in the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam by scientists of the Zoological Survey of India.
It is a diurnal, fast-moving, active snake, living among rock boulders. It feeds on lizards, small mammals, and birds.
Description
A slender snake; rich brown above with white, black-edged rounded or ovoid spots on the back; underside white.
Scales: Supralabials 9; loreal 1, preocular 1-2, postocular 2, subpostocular 1 or absent, temporal 2+2 or 2+3; 19 mid body rows; ventral 201-212, anal divided; subcaudal 105-121, paired.
Distribution
This species is known from Nagarjuna Sagar Dam in Telangana, Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, Bellary in Karnataka and Gingee and Hosur in Tamil Nadu, essentially covering all of the rocky hillocks and outcrops in south India.
Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.
Frequently asked: Sharma's Racer
- Is the Sharma's Racer venomous?
- No. The Sharma's Racer (Platyceps bholanathi) is non-venomous and is not considered dangerous to humans. Like most snakes, it will retreat rather than bite when given the chance.
- Is the Sharma's Racer poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Sharma's Racer is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Sharma's Racer dangerous?
- The Sharma's Racer is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Sharma's Racer live?
- The Sharma's Racer has verified records in 1 country, including India. See the distribution section below for its full range.
Where it is found
More Colubridae snakes
Classification
How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.
- OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards
- Squamata
- FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits
- Colubridae
- GenusA close-knit group of very similar species
- Platyceps
- SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
- Platyceps bholanathi
Keep learning
- What to Do If You Find a SnakeFound a snake at home or on a trail? Here is how to stay calm, give it space, identify it safely, and know when to call a professional.
- Venomous vs Nonvenomous: How to Tell the DifferenceThe folk rules for telling venomous snakes apart, where each one fails, and why location-based identification beats guessing by sight.
- What Is a Snake? Anatomy and the BasicsA clear overview of what makes a snake a snake: limbless body plan, anatomy, evolution from lizards, species diversity, and why they are ectothermic.
- How to Keep Snakes Out of Your Yard and HomeA practical guide to keeping snakes out of your yard and home using habitat changes that work, plus what to skip and what to do if one shows up.
Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.