A tiny snake slithering outside the windows of Oasis Terraces food court recently captured the internet’s attention.
Perched several floors above ground level, the unexpected visitor seemed to be peeking at what diners were having for lunch.
Meet the “Mee Kia” snake.
Despite its noodle-like appearance, the snake was identified as a painted bronzeback (*Dendrelaphis pictus*), one of the most common and widespread snake species found across Southeast Asia.
According to Ecology Asia, this species is non-venomous and harmless to humans.
Large adults can grow up to about 1.2 meters long, though their slender bodies often make them appear smaller.
Online commenters affectionately nicknamed it “mee kia” after the thin egg noodles commonly eaten in the region. Others joked, “If not a friend, why friend-shaped?”
Why Was It at a Food Court?
While snakes often have a fearsome reputation, the Painted Bronzeback tends to flee rather than fight. It is also highly adaptable.
Ecology Asia notes that while it likely originated as a forest-edge species, it now thrives in secondary scrublands, parks, gardens, and other human-modified environments.
The species is fully diurnal, meaning it is active during the day. Rather than searching for human food, it spends daylight hours hunting its natural prey, which mainly consists of small frogs and lizards.
By night, it rests quietly on narrow tree branches above the ground.
A Nervous but Fascinating Neighbor
Even though many people are afraid of snakes, the Painted Bronzeback is more timid than aggressive. It normally runs away if it is disturbed.
When threatened, it can slightly inflate the body, displaying flashes of bluish and turquoise skin underneath its scales.
For some, the sight of a snake in close proximity to a public area may be unsettling, and for others, it serves as a reminder of the fact that wildlife remains in our urban environment.
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