Chinese Ratsnake

Chinese Ratsnake

Ptyas korros

Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic

LCNTNear ThreatenedVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Cat Tien National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

20 Verified sightings at Cat Tien National Park From 2019 to 2026
94 In all 6 parks
July Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Chinese Ratsnake

Ptyas korros, commonly known as the Chinese rat snake or Indo-Chinese rat snake, is a species of colubrid snake endemic to Southeast Asia. Snout obtuse, projecting; eye very large. Head broader than neck. Rostral visible from above; internasals shorter than the prefrontals; frontal as long as its distance from the tip of the snout or a little longer, as long as the parietals; two or three loreals; a large preocular, sometimes touching the frontal; a small subocular below; two postoculars; temporals 2 + 2; eight upper labials, fourth and fifth entering the eye; five lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are shorter than the posterior.

Dorsal scales smooth or feebly keeled on the posterior part of the body, in 15 rows at midbody; ventrals 160–177; anal divided; sub-caudals 122–145. Brown or olive above; the scales on the posterior part of the body and on the tail often yellow and edged with black. Lower surface yellow. Young specimens with transverse series of round whitish spots or with narrow yellow transverse bars.

Length of head and body 1,080 mm (43 in); tail 700 mm (28 in). Nepal, Myanmar; Cambodia, China (Zhejiang... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~20%
2 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~20%
3 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~20%
4 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~20%
5 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
6 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Dong Tam Snake Farm 🇻🇳 Vietnam In captivity
2 Siam Serpentarium 🇹🇭 Thailand In captivity
3 Snake Farm of Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute 🇹🇭 Thailand In captivity
4 Pata Zoo 🇹🇭 Thailand In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Chinese Ratsnake in Cat Tien National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Chinese Ratsnake sighting in Cat Tien National Park on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 23rd most-seen of the 45 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Chinese Ratsnake in Cat Tien National Park?

July and December

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Chinese Ratsnake in Cat Tien National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–February, May and September–October, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Chinese Ratsnake?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chinese Ratsnake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Cat Tien National Park the best place to see a Chinese Ratsnake?

Yes

Of the 6 parks where we can rate Chinese Ratsnake sightings, Cat Tien National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Khao Luang National Park (Thailand, about 20%) and Khao Sok National Park (Thailand, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Chinese Ratsnake live in Cat Tien National Park?

Same family: Colubridae

The closest relatives of the Chinese Ratsnake that you can see in Cat Tien National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Oriental Whipsnake (about 30%), Laotian Wolf Snake (about 30%) and Golden Tree Snake (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Chinese Ratsnake sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Chinese Ratsnake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Cat Tien National Park (20 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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