A 'snakey' experience

Sometimes it paid to look down as one walked, and so I was alerted when I saw this one come gliding speedily towards me.  It's a Copper-head Rat Snake or Radiated Racer (Coelognathus radiata), known to be non-venomous.
The bukit is known for snake sighting in view of the increasing loss of habitat of these creatures.  The present land works with mud slushing down to the road could have flushed out this one; incidentally the snake's mud-like colour made it look like it just glided through the muddy slope onto the road.  In fact it glided rapidly along the curb onto the grass and into the undergrowth as many of us hastily made way for it.

"The Copperhead Racer is one of the many common snakes that are found in forests, rural areas, and paddy fields. It is distinguished from other Malayan racer snakes by its copper-colored head, lined with three streaks. Its body is greyish or yellowish-brown with distinct four black stripes at the anterior part of the body. The snake can grow to 230 cm long and produces several clutches of about 5−12 eggs annually with hatchlings measuring 25−30 cm long.

The Copperhead Racer goes into defence when vaguely threatened. It will straighten its neck, inflates its throat and vigorously strikes to defend itself. The adult snake has the capability to extend its body to a considerable striking range. However, like other snakes, the Racer is likely to flee rather than fight. When fleeing or fighting are futile, the snake may either play dead or writhe, roll over and partially open its mouth to extend its tongue."

Unfortunately, (or fortunately) it was moving too speedily for me to get a good shot at its head, could only just managed a rear view.