Elaphe quadrivirgata
Silhouette: Félix Landry Yuan · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pairi Daiza | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 2 | Sapporo Maruyama Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 3 | Ueno Zoological Gardens (West Garden) | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 4 | Marine World Uminonakamichi | 🇯🇵 Japan |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake sighting in Tokyo on a given day, based on 76 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 8th most-seen of the 15 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 to October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake in Tokyo on a given day, against under 5% in November to March, the lowest months.
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.
4th of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake sightings, Tokyo ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Nagoya (Japan, about 20%), Osaka (Japan, about 10%) and Sapporo (Japan, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Tokyo (76 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.
