The scientific name of the unicorn snake is Gonyosoma bourlengeri and is also known as the elephant trunk snake or elephant snake. This is a species of snake that grows horns in its nose and has a very strange shape in Vietnam.
This snake has a scary appearance, but it is very gentle and can be kept as a pet.
The unicorn snake has a body length of about 1m – 1.5m. When young, this snake’s entire body is gray. When mature, their bodies turn green or pale green, and have no additional patterns.
The most recognizable feature of the unicorn snake is the sharp horn at the tip of its nose. This horn is a small mass of flesh and its main function is to attract prey.
Specifically, when the snake lies on a high branch, the horn will act as a green worm to attract birds to hunt and then it will become the snake’s meal.
As soon as they hatch, baby unicorn snakes have horns at the tip of their noses.
The unicorn snake is a non-venomous snake. Their food is small vertebrates such as birds, mice, frogs…
Unicorn snakes are mainly distributed in Northern Vietnam, however people have also discovered snakes appearing in the forests of Deo Ca range (Phu Yen).
In Vietnam, the unicorn snake is also related to a story about a crested snake that is believed to be a divine snake, often guarding temples… This snake never bites people, but everyone is afraid of it.
