Elaphe obsoleta

Taxobox
name = "Elaphe obsoleta"

---

regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
subphylum = Vertebrata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Serpentes
familia = Colubridae
genus = "Elaphe"
species = "E. obsoleta"
binomial = "Elaphe obsoleta"
binomial_authority = (Say "In" James, 1823)

:"Common names: black rat snake, pilot black snake, black snake.Wright AH, Wright AA. 1957. Handbook of Snakes. Comstock Publishing Associates. (7th printing, 1985). 1105 pp. ISBN 0-8014-0463-0.] ""Elaphe obsoleta" is a non-venomous colubrid species found in North America. It prefers heavily wooded areas and they are known for having excellent climbing ability, including the ability to climb the trunk of large mature trees without the aid of branches. No subspecies are currently recognized.ITIS|ID=174177|taxon=Elaphe obsoleta|year=2006|date=29 November]

Description

") with a portion of its tail missing measured convert|111|in|mm.Fact|date=August 2008

Behavior

When startled, they may freeze and wrinkle themselves into a series of kinks. Usually non-aggressive, but if cornered they may vibrate their tails and strike.

Feeding

This species is a constrictor, meaning it suffocates its prey, coiling around small animals and tightening its grip until they can no longer draw breath, before eating them. Though they do consume mice and rats, the Black Rat Snakes will also hunt other snakes, chipmunks, squirrels, birds, and bird eggs.

Reproduction

The male snake wraps its tail around the female with their vents nearly touching. Males then erect their sex organ, hemipenes and insert it into the female sex organ, cloaca. The mating lasts about a few minutes or a few hours. The female lays about 12 to 20 eggs after five weeks and they hatch about 65 and 70 days later. [ [http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Facts/FactSheets/Blackratsnake.cfm Black snake profile at National Zoo website] ]

Taxonomy

Utiger "et al." (2002) argued that North American Rat Snakes of the genus "Elaphe" are a monophyletic group and thus separate from Old World members of the genus. They therefore resurrected the available name "Pantherophis" Fitzinger for all North American taxa (north of Mexico). In addition, they change the spelling for the specific name to "obsoletus". [http://www.cnah.org/detail.asp?id=128 "Elaphe obsoleta"] at [http://www.cnah.org/ The Center for North American Herpetology] . Accessed 20 June 2008.]

Crother "et al." (2003) rejected the taxonomic change to "Pantherophis", preferring to retain the current concept of "Elaphe" and the spelling "obsoleta". Crother BI, Boundy J, Campbell JA, De Quieroz K, Frost D, Green DM, Highton R, Iverson JB, McDiarmid RW, Meylan PA, Reeder TW, Seidel ME, Sites Jr JW, Tilley SG, Wake DB. 2003. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico: Update. Herp. Rev. 34: 196-203. [http://www.selu.edu/acad_research/depts/biol/pdf/Crother2003a.pdf PDF] at [http://www.selu.edu/ Southeastern Louisiana University] . Accessed 13 July 2008.]

References

Further reading

* Utiger U, Helfenberger N, Schatti B, Schmidt C, Ruf M, Ziswiler V. 2002. Molecular systematics and phylogeny of Old and New World ratsnakes, "Elaphe" Auct., and related genera (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae). Russian Journal of Herpetology 9(2):105-124.

External links

*
* [http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=26 Ratsnake - "Elaphe obsoleta"] at [http://www.herpnet.net/ HerpNet] . Accessed 2 June 2008.
* [http://picasaweb.google.com/stephlipecky/Snake/photo#5207299093117594370 "E. obsoleta" image"] at [http://picasaweb.google.com/ Picasa] . Accessed 2 June 2008.