Wildlifeof China
Sunbeam Snake
Pipe, Blind & Burrowing Snakes
Photo: (c) kkrivoruchko, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY
Xenopeltis unicolor
Basic stats
Diet
Frogs, reptiles including other snakes, and small mammals
Range
Southeast Asia and Indonesia, with records in China (Guangdong and Yunnan)
Size
Average about 1 m
The sunbeam snake (Xenopeltis unicolor) is a non-venomous snake of Southeast Asia and parts of Indonesia, recorded in China in Guangdong and Yunnan. No subspecies are recognised. It is known for its highly iridescent, polished scales. (The Reptile Database; Wikipedia, general species account)
It grows to an average of about 1 m and is reddish brown, brown or blackish with an unpatterned whitish-grey belly. Young snakes have a strong white collar below the head that fades within the first year. It is a constrictor that eats frogs, reptiles including other snakes, and small mammals. It is oviparous, with females laying up to 10 eggs, though nests of 17 and 18 have been seen. (Wikipedia, general species account)
Quick answers
- What does the Sunbeam Snake eat?
- Frogs, reptiles including other snakes, and small mammals
- Where is the Sunbeam Snake found?
- Southeast Asia and Indonesia, with records in China (Guangdong and Yunnan)
- How big is the Sunbeam Snake?
- Average about 1 m