Rhabdophis helleri
Silhouette: V. Deepak · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Rhabdophis helleri, also known commonly as Heller’s red-necked keelback, is a venomous species of keelback snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to South Asia. The specific name, helleri, is in honor of American zoologist Edmund Heller.
R. helleri is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hong Kong, Sichuan, Yunnan), India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura), Myanmar, Nepal, and northern Vietnam. Type locality: Tengyueh, 5500 feet elevation, Province of
Yunnan, China, 25°01'N, 98°30'E. A medium-sized snake, R. helleri may attain a total length (including tail) of 1.3 m (4.3 ft). It has 163–172 ventrals. R. helleri is oviparous. The venom of R. helleri can cause severe coagulopathy, but no human fatalities have been reported.
David P, Vogel G (2021). "Taxonomic composition of the Rhabdophis subminiatus (Schlegel, 1837) species complex (Reptilia: Natricidae) with the description of a new species from China". Taprobanica 10 (2): 89–120. (Rhabdophis helleri, pp. 102–105... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Heller's Red-necked Keelback sighting in Guangzhou on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 17th most-seen of the 28 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and August–April
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Heller's Red-necked Keelback in Guangzhou on a given day, against under 5% in May and July, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Heller's Red-necked Keelback sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Heller's Red-necked Keelback sightings, Guangzhou ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Hong Kong (China, about 10%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Heller's Red-necked Keelback that you can see in Guangzhou (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Yellow-Spotted Keelback (about 20%), Taiwan Kukri Snake (about 10%) and Dhaman (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Heller's Red-necked Keelback is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Guangzhou (25 verified sightings), 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.
