Snake Electrocution on Power Distribution Infrastructure in South Korea: Species Composition, Spatiotemporal Patterns, and Spatial Risk Modelling

Snake electrocution on power distribution infrastructure remains poorly quantified. We analysed Korea Electric Power Corporation records from January 2024 to June 2025, including three additional records from early July 2025. Among 449 recorded incidents, photographs identified 324 individuals of 6 species from 323 incidents. The nationally endangered Amur ratsnake (Elaphe schrenckii) accounted for 202 individuals (62.3%). Spatial analyses used all 426 georeferenced records. Incidents peaked in June and occurred during daylight more often than expected from day length. The rate in Daegu–Gyeongbuk was 4.27 times that in the rest of the country (95% CI: 3.53–5.17). A case–control logistic model used 10 environmental variables, 189 case records, and 7341 control poles. Higher odds were associated with joint proximity to forest and farmland, sparse pole networks, and proximity to settlements and watercourses. External validation in an independent provincial case–control sample yielded an AUC of 0.683 (95% CI: 0.586–0.771). Across the full provincial inventory, the highest-ranked 30% of poles included 44.8% of incident poles (95% CI: 26.4–64.3%), compared with 30% expected under random selection. Predictive performance was modest and requires further evaluation before operational use.