Taiwan Kukri Snake

Taiwan Kukri Snake

Oligodon formosanus

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Guangzhou

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

47 Verified sightings at Guangzhou
September Best month
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted

About the Taiwan Kukri Snake

Oligodon formosanus, also known as the Formosa kukri snake or beautiful kukri snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species epithet is named after its range in Taiwan (Formosa). Formosa kukri snakes eat the eggs of Chinese box turtles.

The scale colorings range in the brown-red spectrum. The body is a tawny light brown with two darker russet stripes running down either side of the spine, where thin black lines that break into smaller dotted patterns occasionally diagonally intersect. The underbelly is off-white.

The snake is found in China (including Hong Kong and Hainan), Japan (including Ryukyu Islands, Okinawa, Miyako and Yaeyama), Taiwan, and northern Vietnam. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Guangzhou 🇨🇳 China
~10%
2 Taichung 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%
3 Taipei 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%
4 Zhuhai [Macau] 🇨🇳 China
~10%
5 Tuen Mun 🇨🇳 China
~10%
6 Kaohsiung 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%
7 Hong Kong 🇨🇳 China
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Taiwan Kukri Snake in Guangzhou?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Taiwan Kukri Snake sighting in Guangzhou on a given day, based on 47 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 11th most-seen of the 28 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Taiwan Kukri Snake in Guangzhou?

June and September

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Taiwan Kukri Snake in Guangzhou on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months. Those are among Guangzhou's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain a month against 30 mm in December.

What time of day is best to see a Taiwan Kukri Snake?

Between 8 and 11 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Taiwan Kukri Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.

Is Guangzhou the best place to see a Taiwan Kukri Snake?

Yes

Of the 7 cities where we can rate Taiwan Kukri Snake sightings, Guangzhou has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Taichung (Taiwan, about 10%) and Taipei (Taiwan, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Taiwan Kukri Snake live in Guangzhou?

Same family: Colubridae

The closest relatives of the Taiwan Kukri Snake that you can see in Guangzhou (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Yellow-Spotted Keelback (about 20%), Dhaman (about 10%) and Heller's Red-necked Keelback (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Taiwan Kukri Snake sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Taiwan Kukri Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Guangzhou (47 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.

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