*The highlighted portions of the text are subjective opinions based on the author’s experience. Please be careful if you refer to this.
Japanese name : Jimuguri
English name : Japanese woodsnake / Japanese forest ratsnake / Burrowing ratsnake
Scientific name : Euprepiophis conspicillata
From Hokkaido. Photo:Baikada
From Hokkaido. Photo:Baikada
Distribution
Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyusyu, Kunashiri island, Izu Island, Sado Island, Iki island, Oki island, Yakushima island, Tanegashima island.
Characteristics
The total length is 70 -100 cm. The tip of the nose is round, and the upper lip covers the lower lip. The neck is not gotten thin. The iris is brown. The dorsal surface is light yellow-brown to light reddish brown with scattered black spots on the body and a few black streaks on the head, equal some individuals generally become thinner as they mature (some individuals remain black streams even in old age). From the dorsal neck down to the torso, some individuals have thin dark longitudinal stripes, but the borders of these stripes are very obscure (a possible before “shedding sign” ). Individuals with a strong brown or red color are found in the highlands of Hokkaido and Honshu. This type is sometimes called “Aka-jimuguri”, and the back of the body is reddish with no spots, and the belly is white without any checkered pattern. Individuals with a strong brown or red color are found in the highlands of Hokkaido and Honshu. This type is sometimes called ‘Aka-jimuguri,’ and the back of the body is reddish with no spots, and the belly is white without any checkered pattern. “Aka-jimuguri” has been recorded as a different species in the past, but in the present view is one of the color variations and not a different species. The belly of the common type has a checkered pattern of white, black and vermilion. Many individuals in Hokkaido have a black stripe (one or two stripes) on their belly. In the case of “Aka-jimuguri” type from Hokkaido, their bellies are white, but they turn black as they grow.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Slightly red individual.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
A fairly red individual.
From Gunma. Photo: Baikada
Individuals with juvenile pattern.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
“Aka-jimuguri” type. (But Belly was black.)
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
A individual that has no spots and is not reddish in body color.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Individuals without body markings but with some dark streaks on their faces.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
An adult with juvenile pattern.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
A distinctive figure its neck constriction is inconspicuous.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
The upper jaw covers the lower jaw. The front face is prettier than other snakes I can see.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Tongue color ranges from dark red to dark purple.
Scale rows
Body scales are 21 rows near the middle of the body. The scales in the middle of the back (closest to the spine) have weak keels but are not prominent.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Skin under the scales tends to darken in adults in Hokkaido. There is no keel on scales other than the dorsal midline.
Behavior and habits
It is generally said that they live on the ground and underground during the day. When the temperature rises, as in summer, many of them are inactive or active early in the morning or at night. It is often seen in the cool season or the cool time zone. You can’t see them when it gets hot. (Around 25 °C may be the limit for action.)
Environment
Many of them are found in forests and bamboo forests ranging from hilly areas to highlands. It is found in the environment where many mice and shrews live. It is sometimes seen in reed bed in the riverbed.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
It is easy to meet on a forest road.
Feeding habitat
Mice, shrews, etc. They like small prey such as newborn juveniles. In one case, they constricted moles (it seems that they could not eat them because too big for prey).
Juvenile
Body color is brown to bright red on the back and black speckles (which may form horizontal bands). Juveniles have a black line on their faces, and their atmosphere is quite different from that of adults.
From Kyoto. Photo: Baikada
Juvenile.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
In Hokkaido, juvenile snakes are less reddish and have smaller spots.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
“Aka_jimuguri” type has not had black spots since the time of the juvenile.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Of the four juveniles that hatched after spawning, one was a white-bellied (“Aka_jimuguri”) type. All snakes were released at the capture place. (Photo taken just before release)
Venom
This snake does not have venom.
Others
Breeding occurs from April to June with one to seven eggs laid.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Eggs laid by captured individuals hatched.
Preciousness
Endemic to Japan and designated as a Least Concern by the IUCN Red-List Ver3.1.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
They were born from the same mother during the same egg-laying period. However, the patterns on each belly are different.
From Kyoto. Photo: Baikada
A checkered pattern on the belly.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Two vertical black-lines belly pattern.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Two vertical black-lines belly pattern.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
A vertical black-line belly pattern.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
A checkered pattern on the belly.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
A checkered pattern on the belly.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
The white belly pattern.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
The white belly pattern.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
Complex.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
The black belly pattern.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
The black belly pattern. Perhaps in the younghood, its belly was check pattern.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
The black belly pattern. The ventral tail is white.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
There are many cases in which the pattern is different in cervix and abdomen.
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
In the following, the white-belly type from Hokkaido changes into the black-belly type as it grows in (1) to (6). ; (1)
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
In the following, the white-belly type from Hokkaido changes into the black-belly type as it grows in (1) to (6). ; (2)
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
In the following, the white-belly type from Hokkaido changes into the black-belly type as it grows in (1) to (6). ; (3)
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
In the following, the white-belly type from Hokkaido changes into the black-belly type as it grows in (1) to (6). ; (4)
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
In the following, the white-belly type from Hokkaido changes into the black-belly type as it grows in (1) to (6). ; (5)
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
In the following, the white-belly type from Hokkaido changes into the black-belly type as it grows in (1) to (6). ; (6)
From Hokkaido. Photo: Baikada
It is more likely to be seen in a place with sunlight through the trees than in a place with severe sunlight.
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.