Elaphe schrenckii
Manchurian Black Water Snake | |
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Species: | E. schrenckii
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Binomial name | |
Elaphe schrenckii (Strauch, 1873)
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The Russian Rat Snake, Siberian Rat Snake, or Manchurian Black Water Snake.
Elaphe schrencki (commonly known as the Russian Rat Snake)
The northern, darker, most common variety is known to be more fearless, inquisitive & personable than its southern cousin, which is somewhat more nervous & shy.
It is found in the Amur River basin; in eastern Mongolia, southeastern Siberia, northuern Manchuria, Korea and a colony of escaped snakes in Northern Netherlands. It is the largest indigenous snake on the Korean Peninsula and is typically 140-180 cm long.
It is one variety of rat snake, feeding primarily on small mammals, birds & bird eggs. It is often found in wetlands, but is also found in a variety of other habitats such as rocky hillsides. It is a very good climber, found as high up in trees as 6 meters.
It is officially a protected species in Russia and South Korea.