Ptyas fusca
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Rat Snake sighting in Kinabalu Park on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 32nd most-seen of the 69 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–February and April
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Rat Snake in Kinabalu Park on a given day, against under 5% in November, the lowest month.
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.
Yes
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Brown Rat Snake sightings, Kinabalu Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Khao Sok National Park (Thailand, about 20%) and Danum Valley Conservation Area (Malaysia, about 10%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Brown Rat Snake that you can see in Kinabalu Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Schmidt's Reed Snake (about 40%), Lined Reed Snake (about 30%) and Sarawak Keelback (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 Kinabalu Park (25 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.
