How Big Can the Oriental Ratsnake Grow? A Detailed Introduction to Adult Size
The Oriental ratsnake, also known as the black snake, black wind snake, sword-ridge snake, black wind snake, yellow wind snake, sword-ridge Oriental ratsnake, southern snake, etc., is a non-venomous snake species. It is widely distributed in China, with no reports abroad. In Yunnan it is found only in northeastern and eastern Yunnan. It grows fast, has strong adaptability and high disease resistance, sells well on the market, and is very suitable for artificial breeding. Now let us take a look at how big the Oriental ratsnake can grow!
How big can the Oriental ratsnake grow?
An adult Oriental ratsnake can reach a total length of more than 2.5 m. The Oriental ratsnake is a relatively large snake of the genus Ptyas in the family Colubridae. Its back is greenish-brown or brownish-black and brownish, with a yellow longitudinal stripe down the center of the back and two black longitudinal stripes on each side of the body that disappear toward the rear. Subadults have obvious longitudinal stripes over the whole body. It moves quickly, reacts agilely, and is good at escaping. It is docile in nature and feeds on frogs, lizards, fish, rodents, etc.
How long does the Oriental ratsnake live?
The lifespan of the Oriental ratsnake is not very long, estimated at around 20 years. If the living environment is good, 25 years is also possible; in a harsh environment, it may die young at 10 years. In general, small snakes live about 2-5 years, medium-sized snakes about 5-12 years, and large snakes 10-20 years. Pythons can live to 30-40 years or even longer, and the longest-lived is the anaconda, which can live more than 100 years. However, in the wild, due to a relatively unstable habitat, occasional food shortages, and the serious harm of natural enemies and disease, snakes do not live as long as those under artificial breeding conditions, and many scientists' experiments have also proved this.
Types and Distribution of the Oriental Ratsnake
1. Common Oriental ratsnake: The common Oriental ratsnake is a relatively large non-venomous snake of the genus Ptyas in the family Colubridae, with a total length of more than 2 m. The head is flat and round, with no obvious boundary between head and neck. The internasal scales are wider than long, the prefrontal scales are large, the frontal scale is large at the front and small at the rear, the supraocular scales are broad, and the nostrils are oval. Body scales are in 16-14 rows, ventral scales 186-205. The tail gradually tapers, and the body is bluish-grayish-brown, with the edges of each scale dark brown. It is distributed in East China, South China, Southwest China, and Hunan, Hubei, Shanxi, Hebei, and other places.
2. Black-net Oriental ratsnake: The black-net Oriental ratsnake is a relatively large non-venomous snake of the genus Ptyas in the family Colubridae, with a total length of up to 2.5 m. It has a yellow longitudinal stripe down the center of the back and two black longitudinal stripes on each side of the body that disappear toward the rear. It inhabits mid- and low-altitude mountain areas below 1,600 m, often near farmland and ditches. It is distributed in India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Yunnan and other places in mainland China.
3. Black-striped Oriental ratsnake: The black-striped Oriental ratsnake is a relatively large non-venomous snake of the genus Ptyas in the family Colubridae, with a body length of 120-200 cm. Males are larger and females smaller. The top of the head is yellow-green, with two black longitudinal lines on each side. In juveniles the stripes run the entire length of the body, and as they age they gradually disappear from the front part of the body. The belly is pale yellow with black longitudinal stripes on both sides. It is distributed in Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet, and Guizhou in China, as well as some Southeast Asian countries.