Mandarin rat snake

Euprepiophis mandarinus
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Subfamily:	Colubrinae
Genus:	Euprepiophis
Species:	E. mandarinus
Binomial name
Euprepiophis mandarinus (Cantor, 1842)
Synonyms
Coluber mandarinus Cantor, 1842 Ablabes pavo Annandale, 1912 Elaphe mandarinus — Stejneger, 1925 Elaphe takasago Takahashi, 1930 Holarchus roulei Angel & Bourret, 1933 Elaphe mandarina — M.A. Smith, 1943 Euprepiophis mandarinus — Utiger et al., 2002 Euprepiophis mandarinus — Gumprecht, 2003

Euprepiophis mandarinus, commonly known as the Mandarin rat snake, is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to Asia. It is closely related to Euprepiophis conspicillatus, the Japanese forest rat snake.

Description

It is a relatively small rat snake; adult size is 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) or less in total length (body + tail).

Distribution

India (Arunachal Pradesh), Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Taiwan, China (Anhui, Beijing, Chongqing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Shanghai, Shanxi, Sichuan, Tianjin, Tibet, Yunnan, Zhejiang)

Type locality: China: Chekiang, Chusan island (modern transliteration: Zhejiang, Zhoushan) (Cantor, 1842)

Taxonomy

In recent years there has been some taxonomic controversy over the genera of rat snakes. Based on mitochondrial DNA, Utiger et al. (2002) argued for a splintering of the genus Elaphe and suggested a reworking of the genera.

However, all published taxonomy remains a taxonomic suggestion until ruled on by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN - http://www.iczn.org/), but that body has so far not supported the change and has not addressed the taxonomic suggestion. Thus the official taxonomy remains Elaphe.

Natural history

The Mandarin rat snake is a secretive species, often using rodent burrows for shelter. It feeds primarily on small rodents, prefers cooler temperatures, and is predominately crepuscular. It occurs from sea level to at least 3,000 m (9,800 ft).

Further reading

• Boulenger, G. A. 1894. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers.) xi + 382 pp. + Plates I.- XX. (Coluber mandarinus, pp. 42-43.)

• Cantor, T. 1842. General Features of Chusan, with remarks on the Flora and Fauna of that Island. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. [Series 1] 9: 265-278, 361-370, 481-493. (Coluber mandarinus, p. 483.)

• Gumprecht, A. 2002. Elaphe mandarina (Cantor). Sauria (Suppl.) 24 (3): 565-568.

• Gumprecht, A. 2003. Anmerkungen zu den Chinesischen Kletternattern der Gattung Elaphe (sensu lato) Fitzinger 1833. Reptilia (Münster) 8 (6): 37-41.

• Lenk, P.; Joger, U. & Wink, M. 2001. Phylogenetic relationships among European ratsnakes of the genus Elaphe Fitzinger based on mitochondrial DNA sequence comparisons. Amphibia-Reptilia 22 (3): 329-339.

• Purser, P.A. 2003. Elaphe mandarinus. Reptilia (GB) (31): 30-33.

• Schulz, K.D. 1996. Eine Monographie der Schlangengattung Elaphe Fitzinger. Bushmaster, Berg (CH): 1-460.

• Schulz, Klaus-Dieter 1996. A monograph of the colubrid snakes of the genus Elaphe Fitzinger. Koeltz Scientific Books, 439 pp.

• Smith, M.A. 1943. The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia, Vol. III.—Serpentes. London: Secretary of State for India. (Taylor and Francis, printers.) xii + 583 pp. (Elaphe mandarina, pp. 157-158.)

External links

• Euprepiophis mandarinus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
• The Ratsnake Foundation
• "Euprepiophis mandarina". Snakes of Taiwan. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
• Google Images

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