**Sakishima-banded Snake (Lycodon rufozonatus walli)**
One of the most commonly encountered snakes while herping on Ishigaki Island. During this excursion, I stumbled upon a Sakishima rice frog (Fejervarya sakishimensis) that appeared to have been run over by a car, being preyed upon by one of these snakes at the roadside. Snakes typically swallow their prey whole, but in this case, the frog’s body had ruptured even before entering the snake’s mouth. Roadkill frogs like these not only attract snakes but also other predators like the Iriomote cat, leading to further roadkill incidents. It’s a phenomenon we need to be mindful of.
