Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake

Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake

Elaphe quadrivirgata

Silhouette: Félix Landry Yuan · PhyloPic

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

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

40 Verified sightings at Osaka
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake

Elaphe quadrivirgata, commonly known as the Japanese four-lined ratsnake or the Japanese striped snake (Japanese: shimahebi = striped snake), is a species of non-venomous colubrid snake native to Japan. It is found in all areas of Japan apart from the Ryukyu Islands.

It typically grows to a length of 1-1.5 m (40–60 in). The snake has a yellow or light brown ground color, and gets its scientific and common names from the four black lengthwise stripes sported by most individuals of the species. All-black variants exist; these are known in Japan as karasu-hebi (crow snakes).

Juveniles are reddish, and instead of lengthwise stripes have crosswise stripes and a spotted pattern similar to some venomous snakes. photo The dorsal scales, which are weakly keeled in adults but may be smooth in juveniles, are arranged in 19 rows. The ventrals, which are angulate laterally, number 193–210. The anal scale is usually divided, and the subcaudals, which are also divided (paired), number 70–96.

Elaphe quadrivirgata is an active, diurnal snake. It feeds on a variety of prey items, including frogs, lizards, insects, rodents, as well as... 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 Nagoya 🇯🇵 Japan
~20%
2 Osaka 🇯🇵 Japan
~10%
3 Sapporo 🇯🇵 Japan
~10%
4 Tokyo 🇯🇵 Japan
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Pairi Daiza 🇧🇪 Belgium In captivity
2 Sapporo Maruyama Zoo 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity
3 Ueno Zoological Gardens (West Garden) 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity
4 Marine World Uminonakamichi 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake in Osaka?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake sighting in Osaka on a given day, based on 40 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 6th most-seen of the 12 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake in Osaka?

August

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake in Osaka on a given day, against under 5% in November to March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Osaka the best place to see a Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake?

2nd of 4

Of the 4 cities where we can rate Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake sightings, Osaka ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Nagoya (Japan, about 20%).

Where does the Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Osaka (40 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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