[4] Both the specific name, sieboldii, and the common name, Siebold's water snake, are in honor of Philipp Franz von Siebold, a German botanist and physician.

[5] F. sieboldii is found in Bangladesh, northcentral India, and western Malaysia.

[6] The preferred natural habitat of F. sieboldii is freshwater wetlands.

[1] F. sieboldii has a dorsal pattern of large blotches similar to those of a python, but it is distinctive in having its nostrils on the top of the snout to aid its aquatic lifestyle.

[7] It may attain a total length (including tail) of 89 cm (35 in).