Banded Rat Snake

Ptyas mucosa

Description

Ptyas mucosa is a large snake, usually brown with black tarpaulin stripes from its belly to its tail. The scales around the lips are usually black margins. There are thick yellow streaks from the head to the belly, especially in young snakes.

LENGTH

Average total length 2 m

Ar

Arboreal

Ca

Carnivore

Di

Diurnal

Te

Terrestrial

Classification

KINGDOM

:

Animalia

PHYLUM

:

Chordata

CLASS

:

Reptilia

ORDER

:

Squamata

FAMILY

:

Colubridae

GENUS

:

Ptyas

SPECIES

:

Ptyas mucosa

Distribution

In West Bali it can be found in monsoon forest areas and agricultural land in areas with low and high rainfall, up to 100 m above sea level. Elsewhere, it is found in a variety of habitats from rainforests to semi-arid scrubby areas at altitudes of 1300 m asl.

Geography

Continent : Asia

Country : Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, India including the Andaman Islands, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Southeast Asia, South China including Hong Kong and Hainan Island. Taiwan, Sumatra, Java and Bali.

Habits and Lifestyle

The Banded Rat Snake is a diurnal species that exhibits arboreal and terrestrial activity depending on foraging and resting needs. Behavior fast, alert and very quick to respond. When threatening, it creeps away from enemies and tries to hide in dark and narrow places like holes, cracks, thick bushes etc. In a cornered position it expands laterally and growls and can bite.

Lifestyle

Arboreal dan terrestrial.

Biome

Forest

Climate Zone

Tropical

Diet and Nutrition

Generally, this species preys on rats and toads; also eat birds, small mammals, other snakes, all kinds of lizards, eggs etc.

Diet : Carnivora

Mating Habits

Mating season of Banded Rat Snake begins from winters and extends to start of monsoon. This begins with breeding male combats near water bodies. Combat is done by mutual winding of male bodies to make helix of posterior half and raised forebody where they try to show dominance over each other. After showing dominance and winning, the male performs mating ritual which is done in silent places away from human disturbance. Female lays upto 35 eggs in silent and dark places which are usually in caves, large mounds, between rocks and wood piles. Egg guarding and incubation is done by female till hatching. The period of incubation is around 60-80 days depending upon weather. Most of the new born seen during whole of monsoon and starting of winters.

Reproduction session : winter season

Incubation periods : 60 – 80 day

Independent age : at birth

Baby name : –

Baby carrying : 35 eggs

PHOTO GALLERY

Reference

  1. Ptyas mucosa India Biodiversity article
  2. Somaweera, R. 2017. A Naturalist’s Guide To The Reptiles and Amphibians of Bali. John Beaufoy Publishing, Oxford, England.
  3. McKay, J.L. 2006. Reptil and Amphibi di Bali. Krieger Publishing Company, Florida, USA.