English name : Oriental odd-tooth snake
Japanese name : Shiromadara
Scientific name : Lycodon orientalis
From Fukushima. Photo:Baikada
Distribution
Hokkaido (There was some records in the central & south Hokkaido) , Okushiri Island, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Sado Island, Oki Island, Iki Island, Goto Islands, Onna Island, Tanega-shima Island, Yaku-shima Island, Iwo-jima Island (Satsunan area), Izu-Ohshima Island.
Characteristics
They are 30-70 cm in length. The body color is gray to brown with black bands from head to tail end. The bands become smaller and smaller towards the back half of the body. Bands are located across the mid-dorsal region. The head is black. The pupils of the eyes are oval, but round at night. Ventral scales scattered with irregular, indistinct black spots. Tongue color is dark brown to red.
From Fukushima. Photo: Baikada
Back.
From Fukushima. Photo: Baikada
Tongue color is dark red.
From Fukushima. Photo: Baikada
Their heads tend to be flat.
From Fukushima. Photo: Baikada
The pupils of the eye is round in the night.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Ventral side.
Scale rows
Body scales are 17 rows for most of the body. The scales are smooth and the keel is inconspicuous or absent.
Behavior and habits
Nocturnal and terrestrial. They are nervous and bite frequently. Being caught, it produces a foul-smelling secretion from its cloaca.
Environment
It lives in flat to mountainous forests and is relatively common, especially in low-mountain forests and around streams. They are also found in the PVC pipes of artificial revetments and in cracks in concrete.
From Fukushima. Photo: Baikada
Juvenile resting in a PVC pipe.
From Fukushima. Photo: Baikada
Adult resting in a PVC pipe.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
It was in a gap in the concrete. The picture is not upside down.
Feeding habitat
They eat lizards and small snakes.
Juvenile
The scales on the back of the head are often noticeably white. This tends to lose its whiteness as it grows. Some individuals have a stronger white background than adults and are very beautiful. However, many have a brownish background color.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Juvenile.
From Fukushima. Photo: Baikada
The white part of the neck is conspicuous.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
It is very small.
From Miyazaki. Photo: Baikada
Juvenile.
Venom
This snake does not have venom.
Others
Breeding occurs from June to August with one to nine eggs laid; they hatch in about 45 days. This species is active from May-October, but tends to be found less frequently in mid-summer. [/toggle]
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Egg.
Preciousness
Its density is low and its population is small. It is a nocturnal species and is not easy to find. Endemic to Japan and designated as a Least Concern by the IUCN Red-List Ver3.1.
From Miyazaki. Photo: Baikada
Juvenile.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Adult.
From Fukushima. Photo: Baikada
Reddish Adult.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Juvenile.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Juvenile.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Juvenile.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Adult.
Attention
This page is one of the pages of the “Snakes of Japan“. It will be updated as soon as new knowledge is found. The transcription and the reprint of the contents (including the image) without permission are prohibited. Please inform “Baikada” when you use it, and post the site name (Snakes of Japan), photographer, and quotation URL. Baikada (Tatsuhiro Tokuda) took the photograph and made the explanation.