Biology
provided by Arkive
Very little is known of this snake in the wild, but as a popular pet, much is documented on its habits in captivity. The diet includes rodents, birds, bird eggs and other snakes, and this species is even known to have cannibalistic tendencies towards its own kind (2)!
Mating usually occurs in spring, with six to 12 eggs being laid in early to mid-summer, which then take a following 40 to 60 days incubation before hatching (2).
Conservation
provided by Arkive
There are currently no known conservation measures targeting this species.
Description
provided by Arkive
The king ratsnake is a large, impressive, heavy-bodied constrictor known by several curious common names; the 'ratsnake' refers to its habit of eating other snakes, the 'keeled ratsnake' to its heavily keeled scales that give the skin a rough texture; and 'stinking goddess' to the distinctive habit of releasing a strong, offensive odour from post-anal glands when handled or otherwise threatened (3) (4). This snake undergoes a rather radical colour transformation from relatively non-descript tan-coloured juveniles into dark brown or black adults with a striking pattern of bright yellow highlights (3) (5). A tear-drop shaped pupil distinguishes this snake from any other Elaphe species (3).
Habitat
provided by Arkive
A largely terrestrial species known to inhabit open forests, fields, meadows and bamboo thickets, although it has also been collected near houses (2) (4).
Range
provided by Arkive
Three subspecies are recognised: E. c. carinata is found throughout most of China and northern Vietnam; E. c. yonaguniensis is found on the island of Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan; and E. c. deqenensis is known from only a few specimens found in Northwest Yunnan province, China (2).
Status
provided by Arkive
This species has not yet been classified by the IUCN.
Threats
provided by Arkive
Despite its habit of releasing foul odours, the king ratsnake makes a surprisingly popular pet, and capture for the pet trade probably poses the greatest threat to wild populations. In 1997, 37,425 king ratsnakes were imported to the United States. As such, this snake was the fifth most imported reptile species and represented an incredible 2.2 percent of all reptile imports for that year. China was the main country of origin, exporting a total of 37,412 king ratsnakes that year (4). This snake has also been collected from the wild to be used in 'traditional Chinese medicine' (6), and habitat loss may pose an additional threat.
Distribution
provided by ReptileDB
Continent: Asia
Distribution: N Vietnam (Hong River),
Taiwan (incl. Lanyu),
China (northward to Henan, Shaanxi, and Gansu; Guangdong, Fuktien, Jiangxi, Chekiang, Kiangsu, Anhwei, Hupeh, Sichuan, Yunnan; south to Huang He River),
Japan (Ryukyu islands incl. Senkaku group)
Type locality: China (Günther, 1864); restricted to Lu Shan, south of Jiujiang (= Kiu Kiang), on LKake Poyang, Jiangxi, China, by Schulz, 1992.
Elaphe carinata
provided by wikipedia EN
Elaphe carinata, the king ratsnake (also known as Taiwan stink snake or Stinking Goddess), is a species of Colubrid snake found in Southeast and East Asia.
Description
Elaphe carinata is a large snake with total length up to 240 cm (7.9 ft). The other common names "stink snake" or "stinking goddess" refer to this species' highly developed post-anal glands which, when the snake is picked up, are frequently emptied, with a very strong, bad odour.[1]
Elaphe carinata is an active, predatory snake that eats everything from beetles to birds to snakes, with particular preference for the latter.[1]
The common name of "king ratsnake" refers to its habit of eating other snakes, including venomous species such as the Chinese cobra and the sharp-nosed viper. It suffocates its prey by constriction, similar to the hunting technique of boas and pythons. It also preys on rodents and other small animals.
There is some concern among herpetoculturists that the king ratsnake may actually be more closely related to the kingsnakes of the genus Lampropeltis than to its current taxonomic family of the ratsnakes (Elaphe). This is due in part to the dietary habits of the king ratsnake, in particular its preference for ectothermic prey such as snakes and lizards, and to the physical structure of the head, which is far less distinct than that of most rat snakes and closely resembles the elongated head and indistinct neck structure of the kingsnakes. In actuality, there is very little direct genetic relationship between the two genera. They share much more in common genetically with other Eurasian rat snakes such as the Russian rat snake (Elaphe schrenkii) and the Japanese rat snake (Elaphe climacophora). They may also share a common lineage with the genera Coelognathus, Gonyosoma and Orthriophis. External morphological characteristics and behavior alone are generally not considered reliable taxonomic keys to classifying relationships between species, as the majority of current classification is based on DNA evidence. The superficial resemblance to American kingsnakes is more likely an example of convergent evolution, much like the similarities between the South American emerald tree boa (Corallus caninus) and the Indo-Australian green tree python (Morelia viridis).
The king rat snake is also uncommonly found in the exotic pet trade.
Distribution: China, northern Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan (Ryukyu Islands).[2]
Use
Elaphe carinata is one of major species in snake trade in China, particularly in skin trade but also of live animals;[3] it is the most commonly available snake in restaurants.[1][4]
References
- license
- cc-by-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Wikipedia authors and editors
Elaphe carinata: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
Elaphe carinata, the king ratsnake (also known as Taiwan stink snake or Stinking Goddess), is a species of Colubrid snake found in Southeast and East Asia.
- license
- cc-by-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Wikipedia authors and editors
