Wildlifeof India
Elaphe hodgsonii
Colubrid Snakes
Photo: (c) Karthik Thrikkadeeri, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Elaphe hodgsonii
Basic stats
Diet
Toads, skinks and rodents
Habitat
Forest, 1,500–5,000m; also agricultural and urban areas; ground-dwelling and active by day
Range
Himalayas: China (Tibet), India (Sikkim, Assam, Kashmir) and Nepal
Size
Up to 1.2m including a 23cm tail
Hodgson's rat snake, also called the Himalayan trinket snake, is a colubrid native to parts of Asia around the Himalayas, found in China (Tibet), India (Sikkim, Assam, Kashmir) and Nepal. It grows to about 4 feet (1.2 m) in total length, including a tail of 9 inches. It is brownish-olive above, with most scales black-edged; the young have blackish crossbands, and the underside is yellowish (Wikipedia, general species account).
Its preferred habitat is forest at 1,500–5,000 m, but it is also found in agricultural and urban areas. It is ground-dwelling and active by day, and preys on toads, skinks and rodents.
Quick answers
- What does the Elaphe hodgsonii eat?
- Toads, skinks and rodents
- What habitat does the Elaphe hodgsonii live in?
- Forest, 1,500–5,000m; also agricultural and urban areas; ground-dwelling and active by day
- Where is the Elaphe hodgsonii found?
- Himalayas: China (Tibet), India (Sikkim, Assam, Kashmir) and Nepal
- How big is the Elaphe hodgsonii?
- Up to 1.2m including a 23cm tail