Oriental Rat Snake
Ptyas mucosa
Description 2
INTRODUCTION
- Non Venomous
- Other names : Indian Rat Snake
- One of the most commonly seen snakes in India.
- Very fast moving and slender snakes.
- Aggressively hunted for skin and meat in some places.
IDENTIFICATION
- Slender body usually yellowish-brown, sometimes green or black too.
- Lower lips have black bands distinctive of rat snakes.
- Head with smooth scales, large round pupils and a fairly pointed snout.
- Posterior of body is usually has a black net-like pattern or crossbands too.
- Often confused with a cobra, but rat snakes grow much longer and have thinner necks.
- Grow to 6-8 feet on average, the largest colubrids found in India.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
- Extremely common throughout India.
- Inhabit a wide variety of habitats like forests, grasslands and human habitations.
- Hide in dark places like rat holes, termite mounds and under rocky caves.
- Prefers wet surroundings during summer and drier areas in monsoon.
DIET AND BEHAVIOR
- Mainly eat rodents and sometimes frogs, lizards, birds, fish and even small snakes.
- Prey killed by using weight of body and sometimes swallowed alive.
- Diurnalsnakes that are terrestrial, semi-arboreal and even semi-aquatic.
- Males known to be territorial and establish boundaries through fights often misread as mating dances.
- Extremely fast movers and tries to escape if threatened. Adults have no natural predators in most places.
- If harassed, puffs throat, emits a deep growly hiss and strikes repeatedly.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Vinay Gogula, all rights reserved, uploaded by Vinay Gogula
- (c) Vinay Gogula, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
iNat Map
| Found | Common |
|---|---|
| Toxicity | Non-Venomous |
