[3] This species is distinguished from H. hypnale by a snout that has a strongly upturned tip.

This is overlaid with a series of 17-26 dorsolateral suboval or subtriangular brown blotches that alternate or oppose each other middorsally.

The top of the head is brown, and usually lacks any pattern, except for a black postorbital stripe that extends to the neck.

[3] Hypnale nepa is found in Sri Lanka throughout forested areas, from lowland rainforest to over 1,800 m (5,900 ft) altitude.

An obvious error, this was amended to "Sri Lanka" by Hoge and Romano-Hoge (1981).