The Taiwan Beauty Rat Snake (Orthriophis taeniurus friesi, previously Elaphe taeniura friesi) is also called the Taiwan Beauty Snake or Cave Racer.
The Taiwan Beauty Rat Snake is yellow-brown to olive in colour with black markings. It has a black stripe on its head that runs across its eye.
It is a semi-arboreal snake that likes rainforests. It is cathemeral, which means that it is active at random times during the day or night, instead of nocturnal (active at night) or diurnal (active during the day).
Taiwan Beauty Rat Snake
The Taiwan Beauty Rat Snake can grow to 1.2-1.8 metres (4-6 feet) long.
It feeds on small rodents, such as mice. Sometimes it eats small birds and their eggs.
It is oviparous, which means that it lays eggs. The female lays 4-12 eggs and looks after them for about 70 days. When the snakelets hatch, they shed their first skin after about two weeks.
Taiwan Beauty Rat Snake
Taiwan Beauty Rat Snake
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM