Ptyas mucosa is a common non-venomous species of colubrid snake found in regions of South and Southeast Asia. It is also known as the Oriental Rat Snake, Indian Rat Snake, Darash, or Dhaman. Dhamans are colossal serpents. Although some exceed 2 m (6 ft 7 in), the average mature total length is roughly 1.5 to 1.95 m (4 ft 11 in to 6 ft 5 in). Among live colubrid snakes, this species' record length was 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in), second only to their relative Ptyas carinata.They might be light brown in dry areas or practically black in wet forest areas. Rat snakes move quickly, are non-venomous, semi-arboreal, and active throughout the day. Rat snakes are common in urban settings where rodents are abundant and devour a range of food.

Predators:

Although younger individuals are the natural food of King cobras, which overlap them in their territory, adult rat snakes have no natural predators. Young children are afraid of medium-sized mammals, huge reptiles, and raptor birds. They move quickly, are alert, and are suspicious.

In some regions of their distribution, humans kill rat snakes and kindred colubrids vigorously for their skins and flesh. In China and Indonesia, there are laws governing harvesting and trade, although these laws are frequently broken.

behavior:

Rat snakes are quick-moving, agitated snakes, however they are not dangerous to people. They are territorial in captivity and may aggressively protect their territory by attempting to startle or attack at nearby objects. Rat snakes are semi-arboreal and nocturnal. They can be found in suburban areas, farmland, wetlands, rice paddies, forest floors, and wetlands where they hunt on small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Unusually for a colubrid, adults prefer to sit on their prey instead of constricting it, weakening it with their body weight.

Although reproduction may occur all year long in tropical regions, rat snakes typically mate in the late spring and early summer. Males delineate territorial borders by tying their bodies together in a ritualised strength test. Observers may interpret the behaviour as a "mating dance" between people of different sexes.After mating, the female produces 6–15 eggs per clutch over a period of weeks.

When threatened, adults of this species make a growling noise and enlarge their necks. This modification might be a mimicry of the Indian or king cobras, whose territory this species shares. However, in populated areas, the likeness frequently results in the innocuous animal being mistaken for a poisonous snake and killed.