
This week’s ssslithery ssspotlight is on the Vietnamese rhino rat snake. The rhino rat snake is native to northern Vietnam and southern China. This species gets the nickname “green unicorns” due to the horn on their snout. Did you know it is the purpose of their horn is unknown to herpetologists?
The rhino rat snake hatches with silver colored scales, as they age they turn green and can grow up to 5 feet! Although the rhino rat snake is classified as Least Concerned on the IUCN Red List, habitat degradation has caused a threat.
Ky Lan is our rhino rat snake here at ZooTampa. Ky Lan stands for “unicorn” in Asian mythology.