What are the characteristics and living habits of the red chain snake (red-banded snake)?

The red chain snake has a flat, large head that is distinctly triangular, with a black head and red scale edges on the head; the rostral scale is tall and visible from the dorsal side. The dorsal surface of the body is black, with about 70 narrow red transverse bands. The sides of the body have scattered black spots, the outer edges of the ventral scales have dark brown spots, and the ventral surface is pale yellow or white. The tail is short and thin, with the standard appearance of a venomous snake's tail, and sometimes the underside of the tail is grayish black. This snake is a neutral species, with a body length reaching over 1.5 m and a body weight of about 1000-1250 g, with the largest reaching 1500 g.

The red chain snake mainly inhabits fields, villages, residences, and areas near water sources, and is also often found in villagers' courtyards. It mostly comes out in the evening and is a nocturnal snake. It is active frequently after 10 p.m. It is usually fairly docile; during the day it coils up motionless, often tucking its head under its body. It does not actively attack people, is lazy and disinclined to move, and crawls slowly. However, when startled, it moves agilely and bites its target with precision. It mainly feeds on toads, small freshwater miscellaneous fish, @#@237@#, chicks, young birds, and rodents. This snake has a snake-eating habit and will swallow its own kind when food is insufficient, so attention should be paid to this during captive breeding. This snake reproduces by laying eggs, mating in May-June, laying eggs in July-August, laying 7-15 eggs per clutch, with an incubation period of 40-50 days.