Red-Tailed Racer (Gonyosoma oxycephalum)
Image Copyright Teerasak Thomas Suamcheepmasau
Last Observed: Jan 2016, Koh Chang
Observed By: Teerasak Thomas Suancheepmasau,Paul Dunn
The red-tailed racer is a species of ratsnake native to Koh Chang. It is also known as the red-tailed green ratsnake but red-tailed racer is way cooler so that’s what we’ll call it here.
This is a large and powerful snake. The female is larger than the male and can reach lengths of up to 2.8 metres. They live up to 20 years in captivity.
They live in trees and seldom come to ground. They feed almost exclusively on birds, bird eggs and bats, which they catch in mid-flight whilst hanging from branches.
They are a non-venomous snake but can still be aggressive and give a nasty bite.
Image Copyright Paul Dunn
Image Copyright Teerasak Thomas Suamcheepmasau
