biology

Gonyosoma oxycephalum

Gonyosoma oxycephalum is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Gonyosoma oxycephalum rather than just read about it. In short: Gonyosoma oxycephalum, known commonly as the arboreal ratsnake, the red-tailed green rat snake, and the red-tailed racer, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia.

Key takeaways

Gonyosoma oxycephalum belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Gonyosoma oxycephalum to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Gonyosoma oxycephalum from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Gonyosoma oxycephalum, known commonly as the arboreal ratsnake, the red-tailed green rat snake, and the red-tailed racer, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia. It was first described by Friedrich Boie in 1827.

Distribution G. oxycephalumm is found in

Indonesia (Bangka, Belitung, Java, Kalimantan/Borneo, Karimata, Legundi, Lombok, Mentawai islands, Natuna islands, Nias, Panaitan, Riau archipelago, Sebuku, Sumatra, Tambelan archipelago), Malaysia (Malaya and East Malaysia, Pulau Tioman ?), Singapore Island, Penang Island, India (Andaman Islands), Myanmar, Thailand (incl. Phuket), Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Philippine Islands (Balabac, Bohol, Catanduanes, Lubang, Luzon, Negros, Palawan, Sulu Archipelago, Panay). The type locality is Indonesia: Java (F. Boie, 1827).

Description

G. oxycephalum is a robust powerful snake, with wide smooth scales on its belly that are ideal for climbing trees and across branches. It has smaller, smooth scales on its back, which is usually bright green or light green and may have a black net-like pattern. A gray-colored morph with a yellow head exists in Panay, in the Philippines. As some of its common names indicate, the snake has a green body with a red tail, but is usually brown. It also has a dark line horizontally across the eye. On the sides of its black tongue there may be brown and blue colour. The top of the head may be dark green, yellow-green, or yellow in colour. The female can reach a length of up to 2.4 m (almost 8 feet), while the male is generally a little bit smaller but brighter in coloration.

Behavior

The red-tailed green ratsnake lives and spends its life in the trees and in cavities of trees. It seldom descends to the ground. When the snake is stressed, it may inflate a bag of air in its neck, making it appear larger in size. In captivity, it has quite the "attitude" and may strike at or bite an unwary handler. Its temperament can be unpredictable and may change from time to time but an individual may become tame through proper handling.

Diet

G. oxycephalum feeds almost exclusively on birds, bird eggs, lizards, and bats. It catches them in mid-air while hanging amongst branches. In captivity, it can be trained to feed on rodents such as mice and rats

Reproduction G. oxycephalum reaches sexually maturity at 4 years of age, and its eggs have a hatching time from 13 to 16 weeks. The female lays on average between 3 and 8 eggs usually between September and January and the hatchlings are about 45 cm (18 inches) long.

Longevity The average life span of G. oxycephalum in captivity is 20 years.

Population As of 2015, the red-tailed green ratsnake was categorized as least concern by the IUCN due to its relatively healthy population estimated at 15,000-20,000 individuals across its range. However, recent data as of 2022 indicates a decline in its numbers, with an estimated population of around 10,000-15,000. Despite this decline, it still retains its least status.

References

Further reading Boulenger GA (1894). "On the Herpetological Fauna of Palawan and Balabac". Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Sixth Series 14: 81–90. Dowling, Herndon G. (1958). "A taxonomic study of the ratsnakes VI. Validation of the genera Gonyosoma Wagler and Elaphe Fitzinger". Copeia 1958 (1): 29–40. Gray JE (1849). "Description of three new genera and species of snakes". Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Second Series 4: 246–248.

External links Media related to Gonyosoma oxycephalum at Wikimedia Commons Gonyosoma oxycephalum at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 9 November 2010. Video of Gonysoma oxycephalum drinking Archived 2012-02-12 at the Wayback Machine Gonysoma oxycephalum Information sheet

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Gonyosoma oxycephalum

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Gonyosoma oxycephalum claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Gonyosoma oxycephalum before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Gonyosoma oxycephalum ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Gonyosoma oxycephalum

In research: Gonyosoma oxycephalum appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Gonyosoma oxycephalum in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Gonyosoma oxycephalum is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Gonyosoma, IUCN Red List least concern species, Reptiles described in 1827, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Gonyosoma oxycephalum outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Gonyosoma oxycephalum in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Gonyosoma oxycephalum means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Gonyosoma oxycephalum out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gonyosoma oxycephalum in simple terms?

Why does Gonyosoma oxycephalum matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Gonyosoma oxycephalum?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Gonyosoma oxycephalum.