Orthriophis taeniurus (Cope, 1861) |
|
Order Suborder |
Squamata 有鱗目 Serpentes 蛇亞目 |
Family | Colubridae 游蛇科 |
Genus | Orthriophis |
Species | Orthriophis taeniurus |
Other name | Beauty Snake, Beauty Rat Snake, Striped Snake |
Chinese name | 黑眉錦蛇 |
Total length | Average 150 - 170cm, can reach over 200 cm. |
Description | Ground colour yellowish to olive. Body heavily marked with black spots. Distinctive black stripe extend from eye to the corner of the mouth |
Habitat | local habitat not clearly known. Locally found in forested area inside country park. |
Behaviour |
Diurnal. Orthriophis sp. are known to be active in the morning. Genus name derived from the Greek word orthros, meaning dawn, and ophis, meaning snake. When threatened, O. taeniurus shows similar display as Copperhead Racer (Coelognathus radiatus), inflates the neck, bend the anterior half of body into loops with mouth widely open. Vicious and aggressive. Will strike and bite when handled. |
Diet | Presumbly similar to other large racer and rat snake: rodents, birds, lizards, frogs |
Reproduction | Unknown. |
Distribution |
Locally only recorded from Hong Kong Island, where there are confirmed breeding populations. Local status uncertain. First recorded in Hong Kong within the past 10 years. Local populations are suspected to be from captive origin as this species is frequently traded in snake shop or pet market. However, Hong Kong is within the natural range of the south China subspecies O. t. mocquardi. There are a total of eight subspecies of O. taeniurus, entire range encompass China, Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands of Japan, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo. |
Conservation Status | IUCN Redlist: NE (Not Evaluated) China Redlist: NE (Not Evaluated) |