The Great Plains Rat Snake is a species of non-venomous colubrid snake that is native to the Central parts of the United States.
As their name suggests, these snakes can be found in the Great Plains region of the United States in places such as Colorado, Kansas and Missouri.
These snakes are sometimes referred to by a number of other names including the Brown Rat Snake, the Eastern Spotted Snake and the Prairie Rat Snake.
Great Plains Rat Snake Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Great Plains Rat Snake belongs to the Colubridae or Colubrid family of snakes. This is the largest family of Snakes in the world consisting of many popular species such as Corn Snakes and Milk Snakes.
With around 250 different genera of Colubrids, these snakes can be found on every continent except Antarctica which also makes them the most widely distributed family of snake in the world.
The vast majority of Colubrid snakes are non-venomous, or at least contain a venom that isn’t considered to be medically significant to humans.
However, there are a number of species of Colubrid snakes that contain venom capable of killing humans. This includes species from the Boiga and Rhabdophis genera as well as other snakes such as the Boomslang.
Genus
The genus that the Great Plains Rat Snake belongs to is called Pantherophis. This genus contains the North American Rat Snakes, Corn Snakes and Fox Snakes.
The snakes in this genus were once considered part of the Elaphe genus until they were later reclassified. This means that they were originally grouped with the Old-World Rat Snakes such as the King Rat Snake.
Species
The scientific name for the Great Plains Rat Snake is Pantherophis emoryi and there are currently no recognised sub-species.
The species was first described in 1853 by an American herpetologist named Spencer Fullerton Baird and a French herpetologist named Charles Frédéric Girard.
Baird and Girard described a number of species together including the Sharptail Snake and the Western Hognose Snake.
Baird was also responsible for describing species such as the Glossy Snake and the Slender Glass Lizard.
Great Plains Rat Snake Description
The Great Plains Rat Snake is a medium sized species of snake that typically grows to between 3-5 feet in length.
They have black and white bellies that have a checkered pattern. This changes to a striped pattern under their tails.
They have a pointed snout at the front of their head and large brown blotches extending down the middle of their back.
They also have two rows of smaller blotches that run either side of the snakes body, overlaying their grey to light-brown colored base color.
Their scales are slightly keeled which gives then a slightly rough texture, although this isn’t as evident as heavily keeled snakes.
They have a somewhat similar appearance to other snakes in their geographical range including Bullsnakes, Black Rat Snakes, Glossy Snakes and the Speckled Kingsnake.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
As its name suggests, the Great Plains Rat Snake can be found throughout much of the ‘Great Plains’ region of the United States.
While these snakes are native to much of the Central United States, they can also be found in parts of Northern Mexico.
In the North of their range, these snakes can be found in places such as Colorado, Kansas and Missouri.
Further South, they can be found in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and in parts of Louisiana.
In Mexico, their range in limited to the North-Eastern parts of the country in places such as Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas.
These snakes like to live in places with open grasslands but can also be found in a wide variety of other habitats.
These snakes can also be found in semi-arid regions, coastal plains and lightly forested areas or around the openings of dense forests.
These snakes are often found around farmland where rodents are abundant. This makes them a benefit to farmers as they can help to keep these rodent populations under control.
Great Plains Rat Snake Behaviour
The Great Plains Rat Snake is a nocturnal species of snake meaning they are primarily active at night and sleep during the day.
It is an oviparous species, meaning they lay eggs as opposed to giving birth to live young. Eggs are typically laid in late spring.
Like many species in this genus, the Great Plains Rat Snake will often vibrate its tail when it feels threatened in an attempt to scare away a potential threat.
This vibration sound very like the rattle of a rattlesnake and is a form of mimicry, attempting to bluff its way out of danger.
If this doesn’t deter the threat, the snake will often strike violently. When picked up, they will often secrete a foul-smelling musk.
As its name suggests, these snakes primarily feed on rodents but will consume other prey when the opportunity arises. Other prey can include birds, frogs and lizards.