Inokashira Park Zoo, located in the woodlands of Musashino, is home to many wild Japanese Japanese Ratsnake. These creatures have long been familiar to humans, often referred to as "quiet neighbors," as they make their homes in attics and prey on mice. However, for those who keep small birds, they can be a nuisance, as they can enter through small gaps and eat precious pet birds or eggs.

A large Japanese Ratsnake, nearly two meters long, was captured on the premises at the end of April 2011. For the reasons mentioned above, it could not be released without consequences, but it was also unbearable to dispose of it, so it was put on display in an empty exhibit case near Main Gate. Initially, perhaps due to anxiety from being confined in a cage, it was aggressive, even trying to bite through the acrylic, but it gradually got used to its environment and began to eat.

Two months later, a smaller individual, about 1.2 meters long, was captured. When placed in the same case, mating was observed that same day, and the sex was unexpectedly determined. Then, one month later, on the morning of July 27th, the larger individual laid eggs. Japanese Ratsnake eggs were laid in a single egg mass, and there were 17 of them. Since it was too hot to leave them in such a small cage, we collected them and decided to wait for them to hatch in the office, taking care to control the humidity.

Between September 23rd and 25th, about two months later, all 17 eggs hatched into adorable baby Japanese Ratsnake (though they were already over 30 centimeters long). The baby snakes, with their mottled patterns completely different from their parents, successfully molted for the first time about a week after hatching and began to eat.

They are currently on display at the museum's special exhibition, "Small Wonders, Big Discoveries - Living Things Are Playmates." Although they are still small, the sight of 17 snakes wriggling together in a cluster is quite impressive, reminiscent of Medusa from Greek mythology. You can see them until December 28, 2011, so please come and meet the adorable "Ao-chanz."

Photo above: Japanese Ratsnake on display
Photo below: Baby snakes clustered together

[Inokashira Park Zoo]

(November 18, 2011)