Oligodon formosanus

Oligodon formosanus, also known as the Formosa kukri snake or beautiful kukri snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae.^[1][2]

Oligodon formosanus
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Oligodon
Species:	O. formosanus
Binomial name
Oligodon formosanus (Günther, 1872)
Synonyms
Simotes formosanus Günther, 1872 Simotes hainanensis Boettger, 1894

The species epithet is named after its range in Taiwan (Formosa).

Description

The scale colorings range in the brown-red spectrum. The body is a tawny light brown with two darker russet stripes running down either side of the spine, where thin black lines that break into smaller dotted patterns occasionally diagonally intersect. The underbelly is off-white.

Distribution

The snake is found in China (including Hong Kong and Hainan), Japan (including Ryukyu Islands, Okinawa, Miyako and Yaeyama), Taiwan, and northern Vietnam.^[1][2]