• Source: Oreocryptophis

Oreocryptophis porphyraceus is a rat snake species, commonly called the black-banded trinket snake, red bamboo snake, found in mid to upper-level elevations of forested hills in southeastern Asia, ranging from evergreen tropical to dry seasonal forests depending on the subspecies and locality. It is the only member of the genus Oreocryptophis, but it was formerly placed in Elaphe.




Description


The head is small, sharp and squarish, while the color pattern includes red or orange colors, along with black bands or stripes. A terrestrial species, it has a preference for cool climates that restricts its habitat to hills and mountain plateaus. It is known to be crepuscular, active during the late evenings till night and dawn till late mornings. In captivity, it is one of the most sought-after rat snake species.




Distribution


India (Darjeeling, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh (Miao, Namdapha - Changlang district, Itanagar - Papum Pare district), Myanmar, Bhutan, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, South China (Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Hong Kong, Hainan, northward to Henan and Gansu; south to Wei He river), Taiwan, West Malaysia (Cameron Highlands, Pahang), Indonesia (Sumatra). The type locality given is "India: Assam, Mishmi [Mishmee] Hills." It is also reported from Lowachhara National Park of North-eastern Bangladesh




Habitat


These rat snakes thrive under cool and very humid conditions. On many occasions they are found at altitudes exceeding 800 meters in evergreen moist rainforest or monsoon forests, depending on the subspecies and locality. They spend most of the time hiding in leaf litter, under moss carpets, or under rocks and logs.




Diet


The diet consists primarily of rodents and other small mammals in the wild. Frogs are a possibility. In captivity, mice are accepted readily.




Subspecies






References






External links



Image of Oreocryptophis porphyraceus laticincta Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine
Image of Oreocryptophis porphyraceus coxi Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine
Image of Oreocryptophis porphyraceus coxi - hatching Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine
Oreocryptophis porphyraceus kawakamii at the Wayback Machine (archived 1 January 2020)

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Ular-bambu merah
• Ular tikus
• Kolubrid
• Oreocryptophis
• Colubridae
• Rat snake
• Banded snake
• List of reptiles of Thailand
• List of snakes by scientific name
• Colubrinae
• List of reptiles of Sumatra
• Index of Singapore-related articles
• List of reptile genera