Wildlifeof China
Mandarin Rat Snake
Colubrid Snakes
Photo: (c) Licheng Shih, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY
Euprepiophis mandarinus
Basic stats
Diet
Primarily small rodents
Habitat
Cool habitats from sea level to at least 3,000m; often shelters in rodent burrows
Range
China, Taiwan, northeastern India and mainland Southeast Asia
Size
Up to 1.4m
The Mandarin Rat Snake is a relatively small, nonvenomous rat snake reaching no more than about 1.4m. It is a secretive species that often shelters in rodent burrows, prefers cool conditions and is most active around dawn and dusk. Small rodents form the principal part of its diet. (Wikipedia, general species account)
Its distribution includes much of China, Taiwan, northeastern India, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. In China it has been recorded from sea level to at least 3,000m and across numerous provinces. Older literature commonly placed it in Elaphe as Elaphe mandarina, but molecular work led to its transfer to Euprepiophis. (Wikipedia, general species account)
Quick answers
- What does the Mandarin Rat Snake eat?
- Primarily small rodents
- What habitat does the Mandarin Rat Snake live in?
- Cool habitats from sea level to at least 3,000m; often shelters in rodent burrows
- Where is the Mandarin Rat Snake found?
- China, Taiwan, northeastern India and mainland Southeast Asia
- How big is the Mandarin Rat Snake?
- Up to 1.4m