Elaphe taeniura
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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 Shanghai on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 6 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.
April–June and August–October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Beauty Rat Snake in Shanghai on a given day, against under 5% in July and November–March, 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.
6th of 9
Of the 9 cities where we can rate Beauty Rat Snake sightings, Shanghai ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in Kunming (China, about 20%), Taichung (Taiwan, about 20%) and Chengdu (China, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Beauty Rat Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Shanghai (9 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.
