Talk:Ptyas mucosa

Nepal Low‑importance

	Nepal portal This article is within the scope of WikiProject Nepal, which aims to improve Wikipedia's coverage of Nepal-related topics. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page and add your name to the member's list.NepalWikipedia:WikiProject NepalTemplate:WikiProject NepalNepal articles
Low	This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale.

Amphibians and Reptiles Low‑importance

	Ptyas mucosa is part of WikiProject Amphibians and Reptiles, an effort to make Wikipedia a standardized, informative, comprehensive and easy-to-use resource for amphibians and reptiles. If you would like to participate, you can choose to edit this article, or visit the project page for more information.Amphibians and ReptilesWikipedia:WikiProject Amphibians and ReptilesTemplate:WikiProject Amphibians and Reptilesamphibian and reptile articles
Low	This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale.

Proposed corrections for Ptyas mucosa (LINNAEUS, 1758).

I saw this enormous snake during my field work on cotton fields in Tajikistan near the border with Afghanistan. I noted it in a large irrigation ditch (channel) about 5 m wide and 1.5 m deep, densely overgrown with reed and other grasses. Suddenly I heard a snarl (loud purr) and saw a huge grey-brown snake in the middle of ditch. The snake was swimming with a speed of pedestrian, keeping its fore part with a head above the water. This part was like a hand together with forearm of adult men (30-40 cm long and the same diameter like the forearm). I followed the beast close along the ditch about 100 m, trying to measure its length with my steps. When I finally came abreast with its head, it dove under water and disappeared. As for me, this animal was at least 4 m long, maybe 4.5 m. Unfortunately, I had no camera that time. Returning home, I identified the snake as Ptyas mucosa by use of Bannikov A.G., Darevsky I.S., Rustamov A.K. Amphibia and reptiles of the USSR, Moscow, 1971. But to my great surprise, I read that this species was the largest snake in the USSR with the length up to 2 m, being absent in Tajikistan. Just recently I found a book (S. Shammakov, Ch. Ataev, On snakes of Turkmenistan, Ashakhabad, 1972) with a photo of the Ptyas mucosa 2.3 m long; and another handbook (P.V. Terentyev, S.A. Chernov, Keys to reptiles and Amphibia of the USSR, Moscow, 1949) with the size of the snake 3585 mm (3.6 m) between snout and anus, and ratio between body and tail about 3. It means that the full length of the snake can reach 4.5—4.8 m. Now I am happy that saw once the largest snake in the Palaearctic Region. It is a pity that this information about the size and distribution of the species is absent in the Internet databases.Grichanov (talk) 07:41, 8 August 2018 (UTC)[reply]

File:Indian Rat Snake (Grey and Yellow).jpg scheduled for POTD

Hello! This is to let editors know that the featured picture File:Indian Rat Snake (Grey and Yellow).jpg, which is used in this article, has been selected as the English Wikipedia's picture of the day (POTD) for January 11, 2021. A preview of the POTD is displayed below and can be edited at Template:POTD/2021-01-11. For the greater benefit of readers, any potential improvements or maintenance that could benefit the quality of this article should be done before its scheduled appearance on the Main Page. If you have any concerns, please place a message at Wikipedia talk:Picture of the day. Thank you! Cwmhiraeth (talk) 12:17, 23 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Ptyas mucosa, the Indian rat snake, is a common species of colubrid snake found in parts of southern and southeastern Asia. Growing to a length of 1.5 to 1.9 m (5 to 6 ft), they are very slender, diurnal and semi-arboreal. They inhabit forest floors, wetlands, rice paddies, and farmland, and are frequently found in urban areas where rodents thrive. They are harmless to humans, but are fast-moving and adept at catching the small mammals, birds, amphibians and other reptiles on which they feed, subduing their prey by lying on and suffocating them.

Photograph credit: Augustus Binu

Recently featured: