Elaphe schrenckii
| Elaphe schrenckii | |
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Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Elaphe |
| Species: | E. schrenckii |
| Binomial name | |
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Elaphe schrenckii (Strauch, 1873) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Elaphe schrenckii is a nonvenomous colubrid snake species, which is endemic to Northeast Asia (China, Korea, Russia, Mongolia). Elaphe schrenckii is a relatively large colubrid, but due to its lack of colour and beauty, and despite its gentle temperament, it is not a very popular snake for keepers.
Common names for E. schrenckii include Amur rat snake, Manchurian black racer, Manchurian black water snake, Russian rat snake, Schrenck's rat snake, and Siberian rat snake. As one common name, Manchurian black water snake, suggests, E. schrenckii is an excellent swimmer, and it is also an excellent climber. The common name, Russian rat snake, is misleading as only a small portion of the geographic range of E. schrenckii is in Russia.
Elaphe schrenckii is NOT to be confused with the very similar Korean rat snake, Elaphe anomala, which was once thought to be a subspecies of E. schrenckii, and was known for a time by the synonym Elaphe schrenckii anomala.
The specific name, schrenckii, is in honor of zoologist Leopold von Schrenck.
Adult Size: 140–180 cm. The northern, darker, most common variety is known to be more fearless, inquisitive & personable than its southern cousin, which is somewhat more nervous & shy.
As the name suggests, this species inhabits fairly moist biotopes. Forest clearings, scrub, farmland, hiding amongst cavities in trees, piles of stone or wood, and when threatened can flee up a tree or into the water. E. schrencki has been noted up to 6m high in trees. This species lives in regions with altitudes up to 2000m. In the wild the diet of Elaphe schrenckii
It is one variety of rat snake, feeding primarily on small mammals, birds & bird eggs. It is often found in wetlands, but also found in a wide variety of mainly moist environments such as scrub land, farmland, river banks, swamp land, gardens, stones, log piles, forests and up in trees. The Manchurian Black Water Snake is a very good climber, found as high up in trees as 6 meters. Feeding on Rodents, Birds and their Eggs, Bats.
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Wikipedia