Wildlifeof Sumatra
Striped Rat Snake
Colubrid Snakes
Photo: (c) Ronith Urs, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Elaphe taeniura
Basic stats
Diet
Rodents and small mammals; occasionally birds and bird eggs
Habitat
Semi-arboreal
Range
Eastern and southeastern Asia
Size
Average 1.2–1.8m including the tail
The beauty rat snake, also called the cave racer, is a long, thin, semi-tree-dwelling snake of the family Colubridae, with several recognised subspecies. The overall ground colour is yellowish-brown to olive, becoming darker at the end of the tail. The back is typically marked with two pairs of round black spots that merge together. The average length including the tail is about 1.2–1.8 m (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is a constrictor that feeds on rodents and small mammals and has occasionally been known to eat birds and bird eggs. It lives about 15–25 years. It is favoured in some places as natural pest control or as a pet, and is considered invasive in others (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Striped Rat Snake eat?
- Rodents and small mammals; occasionally birds and bird eggs
- What habitat does the Striped Rat Snake live in?
- Semi-arboreal
- Where is the Striped Rat Snake found?
- Eastern and southeastern Asia
- How big is the Striped Rat Snake?
- Average 1.2–1.8m including the tail