# Oreocryptophis

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Genus of snakes

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Oreocryptophis Red mountain rat snake (Oreocryptophis porphyraceus coxi) Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Colubridae Genus: Oreocryptophis Utiger, Schätti and Helfenberger, 2005 Species: O. porphyraceus Binomial name Oreocryptophis porphyraceus (Cantor, 1839) Synonyms Elaphe porphyracea Oreophis porphyraceus Simotes vaillanti Liopeltis kawkamii

***Oreocryptophis porphyraceus*** is a [rat snake](/source/Rat_snake) species, commonly called the **black-banded trinket snake**, **red bamboo snake**,[2] found in mid to upper-level elevations of forested hills in southeastern Asia, ranging from evergreen tropical to dry seasonal forests depending on the subspecies and locality. It is the only member of the genus ***Oreocryptophis***,[3] but it was formerly placed in *[Elaphe](/source/Elaphe)*.[2]

## Description

The head is small, sharp and squarish, while the color pattern includes red or orange colors, along with black bands or stripes. A terrestrial species, it has a preference for cool climates that restricts its habitat to hills and mountain plateaus. It is known to be crepuscular, active during the late evenings till night and dawn till late mornings. In captivity, it is one of the most sought-after rat snake species.

## Distribution

[India](/source/India) (Darjeeling, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh (Miao, Namdapha - Changlang district, Itanagar - Papum Pare district), [Myanmar](/source/Myanmar), [Bhutan](/source/Bhutan), [Thailand](/source/Thailand), [Laos](/source/Laos), [Cambodia](/source/Cambodia), [Vietnam](/source/Vietnam), [Nepal](/source/Nepal), South [China](/source/China) ([Tibet](/source/Tibet), Sichuan, Yunnan, Hong Kong, Hainan, northward to Henan and Gansu; south to Wei He river), [Taiwan](/source/Taiwan), West [Malaysia](/source/Malaysia) (Cameron Highlands, Pahang), [Indonesia](/source/Indonesia) (Sumatra). The [type locality](/source/Type_locality_(biology)) given is "India: Assam, Mishmi [Mishmee] Hills." It is also reported from Lowachhara National Park of North-eastern [Bangladesh](/source/Bangladesh)[4]

## Habitat

These rat snakes thrive under cool and very humid conditions. On many occasions they are found at altitudes exceeding 800 meters in evergreen moist rainforest or monsoon forests, depending on the subspecies and locality. They spend most of the time hiding in leaf litter, under moss carpets, or under rocks and logs.

## Diet

The diet consists primarily of rodents and other small mammals in the wild. Frogs are a possibility. In captivity, mice are accepted readily.

## Subspecies

Subspecies Geographic range O. p. porphyraceus Bhutan; India; Laos; Myanmar; Nepal; China, Thailand, Vietnam O. p. coxi NW Thailand O. p. kawakamii Taiwan O. p. laticinctus Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra O. p. vaillanti China, Vietnam O. p. pulchra China

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-iucn_1-0)** Tshewang, S.; Khan, M.; Ghosh, A.; Limbu, K.P.; Hasan, M.K. (2022) [amended version of 2021 assessment]. ["*Oreocryptophis porphyraceus*"](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/190613/219112947). *[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List)*. **2022** e.T190613A219112947. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T190613A219112947.en](https://doi.org/10.2305%2FIUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T190613A219112947.en). Retrieved 20 June 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RDB_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RDB_2-1) [*Oreocryptophis porphyraceus*](http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species.php?genus=Oreocryptophis&species=porphyraceus) at the [Reptarium.cz Reptile Database](http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/). Accessed 22 June 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** *[Oreocryptophis](http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/search.php?submit=Search&genus=Oreocryptophis)* at the [Reptarium.cz Reptile Database](http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/). Accessed 22 June 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Hakim, Jonathan; Trageser, Scott J.; Ghose, Animesh; Rashid, Sheikh Muhammad Abdur; Rahman, Shahriar Caesar (2020). ["Amphibians and reptiles from Lawachara National Park in Bangladesh"](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344358377). *Check List*. **16** (5): 1239–1268. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.15560/16.5.1239](https://doi.org/10.15560%2F16.5.1239). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [225020239](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:225020239) – via [ResearchGate](/source/ResearchGate).

- Boulenger, George A. 1890 The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia. Taylor & Francis, London, xviii, 541 pp.

- Cantor, T. E. 1839 Spicilegium serpentium indicorum [parts 1 and 2]. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 7: 31-34, 49-55.

- Das, I. 1999 Biogeography of the amphibians and reptiles of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. In: Ota, H. (ed) Tropical Island herpetofauna.., Elsevier, pp. 43–77

- Gray, J. E. 1853 Descriptions of some undescribed species of reptiles collected by Dr. Joseph Hooker in the Khassia Mountains, East Bengal, and Sikkim Himalaya. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (2) 12: 386 - 392

- Grossmann, Wolfgang and Klaus Dieter Schulz. 2000 *Elaphe porphyracea laticincta* Schulz & Helfenberger. Sauria 22 (2):2

- Gumprecht, A. 2003 Anmerkungen zu den Chinesischen Kletternattern der Gattung *Elaphe* (sensu lato) Fitzinger 1833. Reptilia (Münster) 8 (6): 37-41

- Lenk, P.; Joger, U. & Wink, M. 2001 Phylogenetic relationships among European ratsnakes of the genus *Elaphe* Fitzinger based on mitochondrial DNA sequence comparisons. Amphibia-Reptilia 22 (3): 329-339

- Schulz, Klaus-Dieter 1996 A monograph of the colubrid snakes of the genus *Elaphe* Fitzinger. Koeltz Scientific Books, 439 pp.

- Schulz, Klaus-Dieter (Ed.) 2013 Old World Ratsnakes. A Collection of Papers. Bushmaster Publishing, 432 pp.

- Utiger, Urs, Notker Helfenberger, Beat Schätti, Catherine Schmidt, Markus Ruf and Vincent Ziswiler 2002 Molecular systematics and phylogeny of Old World and New World ratsnakes, *Elaphe* Auct., and related genera (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae). Russ. J. Herpetol. 9 (2): 105-124.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Oreocryptophis porphyraceus](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Oreocryptophis_porphyraceus).

- [Image of Oreocryptophis porphyraceus laticincta](http://www.herpFocus.com?HFID=HF20080713-002) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110711164037/http://www.herpfocus.com/?HFID=HF20080713-002) 2011-07-11 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

- [Image of Oreocryptophis porphyraceus coxi](http://www.herpFocus.com?HFID=HF20070330-001) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110711164127/http://www.herpfocus.com/?HFID=HF20070330-001) 2011-07-11 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

- [Image of Oreocryptophis porphyraceus coxi - hatching](http://www.herpFocus.com?HFID=HF20070606-008) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110711164216/http://www.herpfocus.com/?HFID=HF20070606-008) 2011-07-11 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

- [*Oreocryptophis porphyraceus kawakamii*](https://web.archive.org/web/20200101000000/http://www.snakesoftaiwan.com/Oreocryptophis%20porphyracea/species_oreocryptophis_porphyracea.htm) at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) (archived 1 January 2020)

Taxon identifiers Oreocryptophis Wikidata: Q14564443 Wikispecies: Oreocryptophis CoL: 69KP EoL: 13030982 GBIF: 7991659 iNaturalist: 90513 IRMNG: 1476018 ITIS: 1081418 NCBI: 341695 Open Tree of Life: 5223283 Oreocryptophis porphyraceus Wikidata: Q1982486 Wikispecies: Oreocryptophis porphyraceus CoL: 74SSV GBIF: 7775827 iNaturalist: 30240 ITIS: 1081829 IUCN: 190613 NCBI: 341696 Open Tree of Life: 207180 RD: porphyraceus

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Oreocryptophis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreocryptophis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oreocryptophis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.