Tiger Keelback

Tiger Keelback

Rhabdophis tigrinus

Silhouette: V. Deepak · PhyloPic

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

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

16 Verified sightings at Seoul
14 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Tiger Keelback

Rhabdophis tigrinus, also known commonly as the tiger keelback, yamakagashi, or kkotbaem, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to East Asia and Southeast Asia. Many sources, though not ITIS, recognize one subspecies, Rhabdophis tigrinus formosanus of Taiwan.

The dorsal color pattern of R. tigrinus is olive-drab green, with black and bright orange crossbars or spots from the neck down the first third of the body. The belly is whitish. The average total length (including tail) is usually 60–100 cm (24–39 in).

R. tigrinus is found in eastern Russia (Primorskiy and Khabarovsk territories), North and South Korea, China (widespread, except in the western third and the extreme south; Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Guizhou, Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia), on the island of Taiwan, in Vietnam and in Japan (Yakushima, Tanegashima, Kyūshū, Shikoku, Honshu, Osaka and in the Ryukyu Islands). The type locality given is "Japan".

The diet of R. tigrinus consists mainly of small vertebrates, especially frogs and toads. It forages using both chemical (smell/tongue... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nikko National Park 🇯🇵 Japan
~40%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Beijing 🇨🇳 China
~10%
2 Seoul 🇰🇷 South Korea
~10%
3 Osaka 🇯🇵 Japan
~10%
4 Tokyo 🇯🇵 Japan
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Tiger Keelback in Seoul?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tiger Keelback sighting in Seoul on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 6th most-seen of the 13 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.

When is the best time to see a Tiger Keelback in Seoul?

March to November

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tiger Keelback in Seoul on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Tiger Keelback?

Between 5 and 8 am

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

Is Seoul the best place to see a Tiger Keelback?

Among the best

Of the 4 cities where we can rate Tiger Keelback sightings, Seoul ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Beijing (China, about 10%).

Where does the Tiger Keelback sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Tiger Keelback is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Seoul (16 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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