Ptyas fusca
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
Ptyas fusca, commonly known as the white-bellied rat snake or brown rat snake, is a species of colubrid snake. It is found in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. The white-bellied rat snake prefers forested habitats. They are known to prey on frogs and lizards and fish. It is known to remain still and hold neck erect when disturbed-a threatening posture.
The adults range from brown to brick-red colour on the upper surface. Ventral scales are white to pale yellowish in colour. Thick black stripes on either side of the posterior body and tail is a characteristic feature. Juveniles often greenish in coloration. The pupil is rounded and large.
Photo by Hock Ping GUEK - Selangor, Malaysia Photo by Paul - Maliau Basin, Sabah, Malaysia Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 6 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kuala Lumpur | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Singapore | 🇸🇬 Singapore |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Rat Snake sighting in Singapore on a given day, based on 51 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 34th most-seen of the 64 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April–May, July and September–December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Rat Snake in Singapore on a given day, against under 5% in January–March, June and August, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Brown 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.
Among the best
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Brown Rat Snake sightings, Singapore ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brown Rat Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Singapore (51 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.
