Populations from India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar are now considered to belong to the separate species Dendrelaphis proarchos.

[4] The snake's colouration is olive or brown above with a yellow lateral stripe, bordered below by a dark line between the outer scales and the ventrals.

A black stripe on each side of the head passes through the eye, widens or breaks up into spots, separated by bluish-green bands on the nape.

The upper lip is yellow, and the lower surface yellowish or greenish.

This snake has five (four) lower labials in contact with the anterior chin shields the latter shorter than the posterior, which are separated by one anterior and two posterior scales.