Ptyas fusca
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 31st most-seen of the 35 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and December
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Rat Snake in Danum Valley Conservation Area on a given day, against under 5% in January, March–April and July–November, 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.
3rd of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Brown Rat Snake sightings, Danum Valley Conservation Area ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Kinabalu Park (Malaysia, about 20%) and Khao Sok National Park (Thailand, about 20%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Brown Rat Snake that you can see in Danum Valley Conservation Area (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Gray Bronzeback (about 40%), Triangle Keelback (about 30%) and Paradise Flying Snake (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brown Rat Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Danum Valley Conservation Area (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
