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Family : COLUBRIDAE
Species : Orthriophis taeniurus (Elaphe taeniura)
Maximum Size : 2.7 metres
This impressive snake has many different names, depending on
which subspecies is being referred to: common names include Cave Dwelling
Snake, Cave Racer and Beauty Snake. Between 7 and 9 subspecies are
recognised, of which around half occur in Southeast Asia.
Featured here are two subspecies with strikingly different colours -
Orthriophis taeniurus grabowskyi from Sumatra, which is a slaty grey
colour, and Orthriophis taeniurus ridleyi from Peninsular Malaysia,
which is brownish.
Its body is moderately robust, and of muscular appearance, and its head is
elongated and wider than its neck. Its eyes are moderate in size.
This impressive snake is both diurnal and nocturnal, and is mainly terrestrial in habits
(but is a skilled climber too).
It is known to range from lowland habitats to around 2100 metres elevation.
In addition to forested habitats it is also found in rocky areas, and it
makes use of caves (if present) for shelter and to hunt prey.
Its diet comprises small mammals and, in cave settings, swiftlets
and bats. Whilst non-venomous, this snake is known to be highly defensive
and will readily strike and inflict a painful bite if approached too
closely.
Orthriophis taeniurus is widespread and is documented from northeast
India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China (including Taiwan),
Korea, Japan (Ryukyu Islands), Peninsular Malaysia (including Tioman
Island), and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.
Figs 1 to 3 : Example of Orthriophis taeniurus grabowskyi ('Sumatran
Rat Snake') from the rim of Bukit Kaba volcano (elevation 1900 metres),
southwest Sumatra, Indonesia. This subspecies, which can reach 2 metres in
length, also occurs in Borneo.
Fig 4 : Example from a cave in Taman Negara, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia. Photo
thanks to Kelvin Lim.
References :
Das, I., 2010. A Field Guide to the Reptiles of South-east Asia. New Holland
Publishers (UK) Ltd.
David, P., & Vogel, G. (1996). The Snakes of Sumatra: an annotated
checklist and key with natural history notes. Ed. Chimaira. 259 pp.
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