The Arboreal Ratsnake (Gonyosoma oxycephalum) is a reptile in the Colubridae family of ratsnakes. It is also known as the Red-Tailed Green Ratsnake and the Red-Tailed Racer.
The Arboreal Ratsnake is green and long, with wide smooth scales on its belly. It has smaller, smooth scales on its back. The top of its head may be green, yellow-green, or yellow. Some have a reddish-brown tail. It has a dark horizontal line through its eyes. Its tongue is black and often with brown or blue on the sides.
It grows to about 2.4 metres (almost 8 feet) long. The male is slightly smaller and brighter green than the female.
It is endemic to South-East Asia in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines.
It is arboreal, which means that it lives in trees, particularly in tree cavities. It does not go to the ground often, not even to feed. It eats birds, bird eggs, lizards, and bats.
When it is stressed, it inflates a bag of air in its neck to make it seem larger to its predators.
The female lays 3-8 eggs, which hatch after 13 to 16 weeks. The baby snakes, called snakelets, are about 45 centimetres (18 inches) in length.
The Arboreal Ratsnake lives for about 20 years.
Location of photographs: Paris, France
Photographs: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM