The beauty rat snake (''Elaphe taeniura'', once of the

Orthriophis ''Elaphe'' is a genus of snakes in the family Colubridae. ''Elaphe'' is one of the main genera of the rat snakes, which are found in many regions of the northern hemisphere. ''Elaphe'' species are medium to large constrictors by nature. Althou ...

complex), also called the beauty ratsnake, the beauty snake, or the cave racer, is a species of snake in the family

Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...

. The species is native to the eastern and southeastern regions of Asia. It is a long, thin, semi- arboreal species of snake with several recognized

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

. This constrictor feeds on rodents, and though it is favored in some locations as a natural pest control or pet, it is also considered an

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

in other locations.

Description

Living about 15–25 years, the average length of the beauty rat snake (including the tail) is about .

Coloration

The overall ground color is yellowish-brown to olive, becoming darker at the end of the tail. The skin on the back of the neck and head are uniform in color and the back is typically marked with two pairs of round black spots that meld together. Starting at the back corner of each eye, a black stripe reaches back to each corner of the mouth which is pale cream around the upper labial area.

Subspecies and distribution

Subspecies

Subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of this species include: *Chinese beauty snake (''Elaphe taeniura taeniura'') - Native to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. This subspecies has 11 different morphs. *Ridley's beauty snake, cave dwelling ratsnake, cave racer (''Elaphe taeniura ridleyi'') - Native to Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia. Bred in captivity in Cameron Highlands. Is listed as Vulnerable on the China Species Red List. (As the name implies, often lives deep within caves where its diet consists mainly of bats. They have a yellow to beige background color that darkens to a grey-black towards the tail. A white to cream mid-dorsal stripe starts about half of the way down the body and continues to the tip of tail. Both sides of the head are marked just behind the eye with a black stripe surrounded by blue.) *Mocquard's beauty rat snake (''Elaphe taeniura mocquardi'') - Native to southeastern

and northern Vietnam, as well as the island of Hainan. *Taiwan/Taiwanese beauty snake, stripe tail ratsnake (''Elaphe taeniura friesei'', previously ''Elaphe taeniura friesi'') - Native to Taiwan. *Vietnamese blue beauty/blue beauty snake (''Elaphe taeniura callicyanous'') - Native to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. *Helfenberger's beauty snake (''Elaphe taeniura helfenbergeri'') - Native to Myanmar and Thailand. *''Elaphe taeniura grabowskyi'' - Native to

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

and the provinces of East Malaysia and

Kalimantan Kalimantan () is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area. The non-Indonesian parts of Borneo are Brunei and East Malaysia. In Indonesia, "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo. In 2019, ...

on the island of Borneo. *''Elaphe taeniura schmackeri'' - Native to the Ryukyu Islands of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. *''Elaphe taeniura yunnanensis'' - Native to

, India,

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

, eastern Thailand and Vietnam. *''Elaphe taeniura ssp.'' - Native to Burma, Thailand and Vietnam.

Geographic range and habitat

The range of the species covers much of southern and southeastern Asia, excluding western and northeastern China. Within these countries, these snakes can be typically found in rain forests as well as within caves.

Ecology

Behavior

Due to their preference for caves, these snakes have become able climbers and are known to move along cave walls. This ability becomes a strong asset for them when it comes to hunting. In addition, likely due to its cave-dwelling habits, beauty rat snakes are cathemeral, meaning that they are active at random times during the 24-hour day regardless of whether it is day or night outside.

Feeding

Relatively small, the beauty rat snake typically feeds on ground rodents such as mice and, due to the snake's climbing abilities, even bats that are roosting within the caves they share. In addition to small mammals, beauty rat snakes have also been known to eat birds and bird eggs occasionally.

Breeding

The beauty rat snake species is oviparous and mating usually results about a month after hibernation period which is during times where the temperature is around . After laying 4-12 eggs, the female will incubate and defend them for about 70 days, only taking occasional breaks to hunt. Recently hatched young range about in length. About 2 weeks later they will begin to shed their first skin. Within the next 14 months, hatchlings grow to be about long and are able to breed another 4 months later.

Threats and predators

Though beauty rat snakes are typically in less accessible caves, the top predators of these serpents are birds and mammals.

Interaction with humans

The beauty rat snake is largely traded in the Chinese snake skin and live snake trade. Overall, the Chinese beauty snake, Taiwan beauty snake and Vietnamese blue beauty snake are the most popular of the subspecies to be kept as pets. Pop culture has also been influenced by the beauty rat snake by having Mozler, the main monster from the 1988 Hong Kong film ''Thunder of Gigantic Serpent'', be of the same species. Though Mozler displays a calm temperament, this is seen mainly in captive bred snakes. Wild caught snakes can have difficult dispositions despite being kept as pets for several years.

As an invasive species

Though the overall species is native to Asia, certain subspecies have become invasive in regions of Asia to which they are not local. The cause of their invasion varies but one of the leading causes is individuals that have been transported by the pet trade and escaping or being released by owners. Another reason has been military movement of resources which has created routes along which serpents can move. On the island of Okinawa one subspecies of beauty rat snake, suspected to be the Taiwanese beauty snake, has been established as an invasive species since the late 1970s. The Taiwanese beauty snake was originally brought onto the islands to be displayed at zoos as well as for medicinal purposes but now has spread through forests and urban locations. According to the article ''Invasive Species of Japan'', the "spread of

he Taiwanese Beauty Snake He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

to northern part of Okinawa Island could threaten endemic and endangered birds and mammals, such as ''Gallirallus okinawae'', ''Erithacus komadori namiyei'', ''Diplothrix legata'', ''Tokudaia muenninki'', etc." As of yet, there is no further published information on the exact impact of the Taiwanese beauty snake's invasion into Okinawa.

Control strategies

Policies and laws

Currently, according to the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Act, it is illegal in Japan to own, transport or bring any Taiwanese beauty snake into the country. The IAS Act also maintains a list differentiating between Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Uncategorized Alien Species (UAS) and Living Organisms Required to have a Certificate Attached (LORCA) while they are brought into the country. The Taiwanese beauty snake is the only subspecies of beauty rat snake labeled as an IAS. The subspecies ''Orthiophis taeniurus schmackeri'' is the only one listed as an exemption of the UAS category but all subspecies (exempting the prohibited Taiwanese beauty snake) classify as LORCAs.

References

External links

* www.snakesoftaiwan.com {{Taxonbar, from=Q2697746 Elaphe Rat snakes Snakes of Vietnam Snakes of Myanmar Reptiles of Cambodia Snakes of China Reptiles of India Snakes of Indonesia Reptiles of Japan Reptiles of Laos Snakes of Malaysia Reptiles of Nepal Reptiles of Taiwan Snakes of Thailand Reptiles of Vietnam Reptiles described in 1861 Reptiles of Borneo