Elaphe carinata
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Elaphe carinata, the king ratsnake, is a species of Colubrid snake found in Southeast and East Asia. Elaphe carinata is a large species of snake with total length up to 240 cm (7.9 ft). It is an active, predatory snake that preys extensively on mice, birds, bird eggs and frogs, and sometimes on grasshoppers, beetles, lizards or other snakes.
The common name refers to its habit of eating other snakes, including venomous species such as the sharp-nosed viper. It suffocates its prey by constriction, similar to the hunting technique of boas and pythons. Elaphe carinata also preys on rodents and other small animals. They are opportunistic hunters and will even forage nests.
It is also known as Taiwan stink snake and stinking goddess, referring to this species' highly developed post-anal glands, which are frequently emptied when the snake is picked up, resulting in a very strong, unpleasant odour.
This species shares similar characteristics and behaviours with Lampropeltis, Thamnophis, and Ophiophagus. However, regardless of speculation among herpetoculturists, the king ratsnake shares very little direct genetic relationship... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dublin Zoo | 🇮🇪 Ireland | |
| 2 | Dallas Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | 杭州动物园 | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 4 | Espace zoologique de Saint-Martin-la-Plaine | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | DMM Kariyushi Aquarium | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 6 | Hangzhou Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 7 | Ocean Park Hong Kong | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 8 | Snakeroom Serpentarium | 🇪🇸 Spain |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a King Ratsnake sighting in Taipei on a given day, based on 73 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 15th most-seen of the 35 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a King Ratsnake in Taipei on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months. That is one of Taipei's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain against 90 mm in February.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most King Ratsnake sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate King Ratsnake sightings, Taipei ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Taichung (Taiwan, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the King Ratsnake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Taipei (73 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.
