Yellow-striped Racer

Gonyosoma oxycephalum

Description

The Yellow-striped Racer is a large snake with a cylindrical body. Half of the body is brown, fading then to gray slightly dark blue on the other. The smaller snake has a yellow stripe along its back, bordered by a darker stripe, the sides are dotted with dark and light spots, sometimes having several small, dark patches. From the eyes there are dark streaks spreading down the middle or back of the jaw. Sometimes there is a light blue patch on the side of the front of the body. These patterns are most vivid in young snakes, fading with age, so that older snakes do not have obvious stripes. The pupils are round.

Population Size

Stable

Life Span

-

WEIGHT​

-

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

:

Gonyosoma

SPECIES

:

Gonyosoma oxycephalum

Distribution

The Yellow-striped Racer 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 Yellow-striped Racer 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 Yellow-striped Racer 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 Yellow-striped Racer 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.

PHOTO GALLERY

Reference

  1. Gonyosoma oxycephalum on The IUCN Red List site
  2. Gonyosoma oxycephalum Wikipedia article
  3. Somaweera, R. 2017. A Naturalist’s Guide To The Reptiles and Amphibians of Bali. John Beaufoy Publishing, Oxford, England.
  4. McKay, J.L. 2006. Reptil and Amphibi di Bali. Krieger Publishing Company, Florida, USA.