Here's a snake I bet you are not afraid of, even if you hate snakes. Look how small

Size of a keelback snake, native to Japan. About this little critter -
The Japanese keelback (Hebius vibakari), also known as the hibakari or ringed snake, is a non-venomous colubrid snake native to Japan and parts of Asia. Here are some key facts:
Size and Appearance: It’s a small snake, growing up to 44 cm (17¼ inches) in total length, with a tail about 10 cm (3⅞ inches) long. Its dorsal side is olive or reddish-brown with small blackish spots, and some individuals have a dark olive or blackish stripe along the spine. The upper lips are yellow with black sutures, and it has distinctive yellow, dark-edged diagonal streaks on each side of the neck that converge at the back. The belly is yellow with brown dots or lines at the edges of the ventral scales.

Habitat: Found in northeastern China, Japan (Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku), Korea, and Russia (Amur Oblast, Khabarovsk Krai, Primorsky Krai). It prefers semi-aquatic environments like ponds, marshes, rice paddies, and flat mountainous forests, often near water. It’s well-adapted for swimming, with a flattened body and keeled scales aiding its aquatic lifestyle.

Diet: An opportunistic carnivore, it primarily eats amphibians like frogs and newts, but also consumes small reptiles, fish, and invertebrates such as earthworms. It uses its good vision and tongue-flicking to detect prey.

Behavior: Diurnal (active during the day), though it may also be active at night in warmer months. It’s solitary, relying on agility and camouflage to avoid predators.

Reproduction: Oviparous, meaning it lays eggs. Mating occurs in spring, and females lay clutches of eggs in hidden spots like under vegetation or in rotting logs. The eggs hatch after a couple of months, and the young are independent and precocial (relatively mature and mobile) at birth.

Non-Venomous: Unlike the tiger keelback (Rhabdophis tigrinus), a venomous and poisonous species also found in Japan, the Japanese keelback is harmless to humans. It lacks venom and relies on its camouflage and agility for defense.

Conservation Status: There’s no specific mention of conservation concerns for the Japanese keelback, suggesting it’s relatively common in its range.

Note: The Japanese keelback is distinct from the tiger keelback (Rhabdophis tigrinus), which is venomous and poisonous due to toxins sequestered from toads. Always exercise caution and avoid handling wild snakes to prevent confusion with venomous species like the tiger keelback or mamushi.

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