Wild Moellendorff’s Trinket Snake Photography | Vulnerable Threatened Flower Rat Snake in Cave Vietnam

Moellendorff’s Rat Snake / Flower Snake high up in its Natural environment.

Glad I found this by myself without a guide, with just @bassz.p describing this snake to me prior. Bassz told me, this snake is on a Must See list for all snake lovers, and I am glad to find it/ and also see it, for the first time in my life. This snake is only found in North Vietnam caves and parts of South China caves (Yunnan).

It looked like a line of algae growth on the cave surface at first glance. Had to look thrice as this was a juvenile (Quite small).
Not the biggest size yet.
NO “Hook Snake to Photograph” shots. NO BAIT. Not the best, ideal, perfect spot for more solid photography, but it is what it is. I do NOT force wild animals to my bidding. If the photo becomes crap/ normal like now, due to “Not so right conditions”, so be it.
Least the animal is not stressed and then die off just because of Human Selffish-ness “I want to have the shot, you should DIE for my shot”.

This species IUCN Redlist is threatened, Vulnerable.

It is only found in dark caves, endemic in South China and North Vietnam only.
It eats bats . Maybe I have to try a solid few weeks in the cave if I want to have solid hunting photos ?

?: Oct 2025, Ninh Binh cave, Vietnam
?: Nikon D780, 200mm F/2 VRII , ISO 640, F/2.5 ~ F/3.5, 1/40th ~ 1/200th, Handheld. Lit by torch (Thanks @bassz.p for the torch). Without torch, its completely dark.

Behind the scene shooting in the cave here (Thanks @bassz.p for the back view, didnt know my body is literally smoking ?)!

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