Rhinoceros ratsnake

Appearance

Adult size: 100–160 cm total length. Scale count: 19 rows of dorsals at midbody.

Naming

The specific name, "boulengeri", is in honor of Belgian-British biologist George Albert Boulenger.

Evolution

Rhinoceros ratsnakes inhabit subtropical rainforests at elevations between 300 and 1,100 m, particularly valleys with streams. They are generally arboreal, and mostly nocturnal, hunting small mice and other rodents, birds and perhaps other vertebrate prey. Oviparous, its mating season from April to May may produce 5 to 10 eggs in a clutch. After 60 days' incubation, hatchlings are 30–35 cm total length, brownish grey with dark edges on several dorsal scales. As they mature, rhinoceros ratsnakes change color to steel grey at about 12–14 months, then to a bluish green or green adult hue at about 24 months. However, a rare few individuals maintain their steel grey subadult color and do not pass into ordinarily mature color phase.