Hi,
I took a picture of this guy on a beach in Jeju Island. I've been looking on the internet to find out exactly what it is but I haven't found an exact picture. I'm thinking it's some kind of water/rat snake, perhaps Elaphe rufodorsata?. I'm also wondering if it's poisonous (rear-fanged)? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
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Help identifying South Korean snake
brian_90
Jul 16, 2011 04:53 AM
Replies (2)
chrish
Jul 16, 2011 07:44 AM
It isn't rufodorsata since that species has relatively smooth scales.
If I had to guess, I would say it is either Elaphe davidi or one of the Gloydius vipers (maybe - pattern looks wrong).
I would guess Elaphe davidi until I heard something more.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas
DMong
Jul 17, 2011 12:16 PM
This one seems pretty baffling to me as well. My range maps show E. davidi to range further around the western bend in the Beijing area, but who really knows. And even so, it doesn't seem to have the "davidi" phenotype I would expect to see. I wonder if it couldn't even be some weird isolated Island form of one of the more common species there too. It sure doesn't seem to look like any I would expect to see from that area.
Seems way too Ratsnake looking to be any of the Gloydius/Amur vipers that I have seen photos of too...........weird!
~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing" 
