Oriental Rat Snakes, also commonly known as Banded Rat Snakes and Dhaman Rat Snakes, are non-venomous snakes with the binomial name Ptyas mucosus. They may grow to a length of about 320 centimeters, with the anterior half of the body pale or medium brown to near black, whilst the posterior is somewhat paler and has irregular, thin, black dorsal cross-bands, that run down the sides to the abdomen. It has a brown head and large eyes with round pupils. The body colour tends to vary according to their habitat, with pale brown for species living in dry regions to near black for those that live in moist forest areas. This mainly terrestrial snake is active during the day and preys on a wide range of animals. Akin to lizards, male snakes have not just one, but two penises, called hemipenes. These reproduction organs are tucked away under the tail, either side by side or stacked on top of each other. These paired genitalia have an outer groove to transport sperm, rather than through an inner tube as in the case of single genital tubercles, like those of most mammals. Depending on the species, the hemipenes may have spines or hooks, and they function as a kind of locking mechanism aimed to prevent disrupting the mating process. Hemipenes vary widely per species and since each has its own specific lock-and-key mechanism, insemination between different species is impossible. These morphological differences are also used for identification by scientists. Females can store sperm internally and are hence able to control when they want to get pregnant. They are thus able to wait for conception until ovulation takes place, even after mating. 回