Elaphe taeniura
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The beauty rat snake (Elaphe taeniura), also called the beauty ratsnake, the beauty snake, or the cave racer, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to the eastern and southeastern regions of Asia. It is a long, thin, semi-arboreal species of snake with several recognized subspecies. This constrictor feeds on rodents, and though it is favored in some locations as a natural pest control or pet, it is also considered an invasive species in other locations.
Living about 15–25 years, the average length of the beauty rat snake (including the tail) is about 4–6 feet (1.2–1.8 m). The overall ground color is yellowish-brown to olive, becoming darker at the end of the tail. The skin on the back of the neck and head are uniform in color and the back is typically marked with two pairs of round black spots that meld together. Starting at the back corner of each eye, a black stripe reaches back to each corner of the mouth which is pale cream around the upper labial area.
Subspecies of this species include: Chinese beauty snake (Elaphe taeniura taeniura) – Native to China. This subspecies... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 2 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Beauty Rat Snake sighting in Nanjing on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 7th most-seen of the 11 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.
April–May and October
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Beauty Rat Snake in Nanjing on a given day, against under 5% in January–February, July–August and November, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Beauty Rat Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 9
Of the 9 cities where we can rate Beauty Rat Snake sightings, Nanjing ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Kunming (China, about 20%), Taichung (Taiwan, about 20%) and Chengdu (China, about 20%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Beauty Rat Snake that you can see in Nanjing (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Red-banded Snake (about 20%), Big-Eyed Ratsnake (about 10%) and Chinese Kukri Snake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Beauty Rat Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Nanjing (13 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.
