Black Copper Rat Snake (Coelognathus flavolineatus) is a medium to large-sized colubrid found throughout Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It has a distinctive appearance, with a dark brown to black body and coppery or yellowish longitudinal stripes along the back and sides. This species is often found in forests, plantations, and rural areas, where it actively hunts small mammals, birds, and lizards. It is a fast-moving, agile snake that may inflate its body and display defensive behavior when threatened but usually prefers to escape rather than attack.
Black Copper Rat Snake
Coelognathus flavolineatus
🐍 Non-venomous
Description
Venomous?
Non-venomous. It poses no venom danger to humans.
A Danger to Humans?
Generally not aggressive, but can be defensive and may bite if cornered or handled roughly. Bites are harmless to humans.
Population Size
Stable
Life Span
-
WEIGHT
30.5 g
LENGTH
Average total length 1.8 m
Ar
Arboreal
Ca
Carnivore
No
Nocturnal
Te
Terrestrial
Classification
KINGDOM
:
Animalia
PHYLUM
:
Chordata
CLASS
:
Reptilia
ORDER
:
Squamata
FAMILY
:
Colubridae
GENUS
:
Coelognathus
SPECIES
:
Coelognathus flavolineatus
Distribution
The Black Copper Rat Snake usually lives in lowland rain forests, montane forests, and agricultural land from an altitude of 100 – 1500 m asl in Bali. In other places it is also recorded in monsoon forests, savanna, and around villages.
Geography
Continent : Asia
Country : The Black Copper Rat Snake widespread from the Andaman Islands, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Simeuleue, Nias, Mentawai Islands, Riau Islands, Bangka-Belitung, Java, Bali, Kalimantan and Sulawesi), and Brunei Darussalam .
Habits and Lifestyle
The Black Copper Rat Snake live and wander on the ground, though able to climb trees. This snake is more tame than its relative, the cobra (C. radiatus) which is easily angered when disturbed. However, this snake is also not afraid to attack when disturbed
Lifestyle
Arboreal and Terrestrial
Biome
Rain forest, monsoon forest
Climate Zone
Tropical
Diet and Nutrition
This snake preys on mice as its main food. Apart from mice, these snakes also prey on lizards and frogs / toads. These snakes are not venomous, so they kill their prey by twisting, as do boas and pythons.
Nutrition : Carnivora
Mating Habits
The Black Copper Rat Snake reproduce by laying eggs (ovipar). The number of eggs produced is 5 to 12 eggs and will hatch after 15 weeks of incubation. The newly hatched piglets are 25 to 30 cm in length each.
Reproduction session : –
Incubation periods : 15 weeks
Independent age : at birth
Baby name : –
Baby carrying : 5 – 12 eggs
Population
Population status : Least Concern (LC)
NE
DD
LC
NT
VU
EN
CR
EW
EX
Population threats
There are no apparent threats to this species.
Population number
This is a common species that faces no major threats, and occurs in a variety of human-modified habitats. It is therefore listed as Least Concern.