Burrowing Ratsnake
Euprepiophis conspicillata
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyColubridae (Colubrid Snakes)
- GenusEuprepiophis
- SpeciesEuprepiophis conspicillata (Burrowing Ratsnake)
About the Burrowing Ratsnake
Euprepiophis conspicillata, commonly known as the Japanese forest rat snake, is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to Japan. Its Japanese common name, jimuguri, roughly translates to "the burrower". It is closely related to Euprepiophis mandarinus, the Mandarin rat snake.
Euprepiophis conspicillata is native to all four main islands of Japan, including some smaller outlying islands, as well as Kunashir Island (territory disputed between Japan and Russia). Adults are usually 70 to 100 cm (2.3 to 3.3 ft) in total length (body + tail).
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 - https://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.
The Japanese forest rat snake can be... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Burrowing Ratsnake in Nikko National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Nikko National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikko National Park | 🇯🇵 Japan |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Burrowing Ratsnake in Nikko National Park?
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Burrowing Ratsnake sighting in Nikko National Park, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Burrowing Ratsnake in Nikko National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Burrowing Ratsnake in Nikko National Park in our monthly data.