Japanese striped snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Japanese four-lined ratsnake |
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Elaphe
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| Species: |
quadrivirgata
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The Japanese striped snake is a type of snake that lives only in Japan. This means it is endemic to Japan. It is known for its interesting patterns and colors. This snake is quite common in many parts of Japan.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
These snakes usually grow to be about 80 to 150 centimeters long. That's like the height of a 12-year-old! Most of them are light yellow. But sometimes, you can find black ones too. Their scales are not very big. This means they can't swallow really large animals.
Where Does It Live?
You can find the Japanese striped snake in almost all areas of Japan. This includes big islands like Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. They also live on smaller places like the Osumi islands.
What Does It Eat?
These snakes mainly eat small animals. Their favorite foods include rats, birds, lizards, and frogs. They really like reptiles and amphibians. Sometimes, they even eat other snakes! They drink water by taking it into their mouths.
How Does It Reproduce?
Japanese striped snakes lay eggs. They usually lay 4 to 16 eggs. This happens between July and August. The eggs take about 40 to 50 days to hatch. The mother snake often hides her eggs. She might put them under the soil, in a gap in a stone wall, or under fallen leaves.
What Dangers Does It Face?
The biggest danger to these snakes is losing their homes. Places like paddy fields, forests, and grasslands are shrinking. This means there are fewer places for the snakes to live and find food.
How Do Humans Interact With It?
People often see these snakes in rural areas. They move around on the ground. Because of this, they are sometimes run over by cars.
Sometimes, these snakes have different colors than usual. This is called a color mutation. Because of their interesting colors, some people keep them as pets.
Images for kids
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A Japanese striped snake catching a frog (Rana ornativentris).
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A Japanese striped snake swimming in a small stream in Nara.
