The Manchurian black ratsnake, better known as the Amur rat snake, is a heavy-bodied, nonvenomous from northeastern China, Korea, Mongolia, and the Russian Far East; it does not live wild in the United States. Adults are usually 4–5 ft (1.2–1.6 m) long, and it is a strong climber and a good swimmer. It is also called the Russian rat snake or Siberian rat snake.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Adults are usually 4–5 ft (1.2–1.6 m) long, including the tail, though Korean sources describe adults of about 6.5 ft (2 m). Coloring runs from cream to dark brown, with darker saddle marks.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- forest clearings
- scrub
- farmland
- Range
- Native to northeastern China, Korea, eastern Mongolia, and Russia's Amur River basin and Primorsky region.
- Preferred conditions
- Prefers fairly moist places and lives up to about 6,600 ft (2,000 m).
Behavior
- Diet
- Mostly small mammals, birds, and bird eggs.
- Activity
- A strong climber that may go 20 ft (6 m) up a tree, and a good swimmer. It is thought to be most active around dawn and dusk.
Life cycle
- Breeding season
- Eggs laid in June or July
- Clutch size
- 6–30 eggs
- Incubation
- About 40 days
Growing it
- Care
- Reptile keepers breed it in captivity.
Name and classification
- About the name
- The Korean rat snake (Elaphe anomala) was once treated as a subspecies of this snake. Many experts now see it as a separate species, while in Korea the two are usually treated as one.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
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