FEEDING SNAKES! SCALELESS SNAKE! (PART 1) SerpentSityExotics
Like 1 Dislike 0 Published on 5 Aug 2016
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Rat snakes are medium-to-large, nonvenomous snakes that kill by constriction. They pose no threat to humans. There are Old World (Eastern Hemisphere) and New World (Western Hemisphere) rat snakes, and the two types are fairly different genetically.
New World rat snakes are found throughout North America. One species of rat snake is the corn snake, a docile animal and popular pet. As their name implies, rats are one of their favorite foods.
What is a rat snake?
In the past two decades, the question of what is a rat snake has become increasingly complicated to answer. Until the early 2000s, both Old and New World rat snakes were generally thought to belong to the same genus, Elaphe, according to Alan Savitzky, a professor of biological sciences at Utah State University who specializes in the biology of snakes.
"There was a time not that long ago when all rat snakes were considered closely related," Savitzy said. "We know now that the rat snakes in North America are more closely related to the king snakes than the Old World rat snakes."
New technologies in molecular evolutionary studies have enabled scientists to look at the DNA differences between snakes, Savitzy told Live Science. This has caused a great deal of upheaval in snake classification, and snakes are being moved into different genera. In 2002, herpetologist Urs Utiger published findings in the Russian Journal of Herpetology and proposed reclassifying North American rat snakes as members of the genus Pantherophis.
The proposal met with mixed reactions. Some authorities adopted the classification. For example, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), a collaborative network of researchers, accepts Pantherophis, as does the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR), an international non-profit organization that supports herpetological research and education.
However, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), recognized as the arbiter for the correct use of the scientific names of animals, does not recognize Pantherophis; nor does the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). TheIntegrated Taxonomical Information System (ITIS), a partnership of organizations that provides taxonomic information, lists Pantherophisspecies as "invalid."
Rat snake appearance
According to Reptiles Magazine, rat snakes can vary widely in appearance. They can have blotches, stripes, a combination of both, or be single-colored. They can be black, red, brown, yellow, gray or black-and-white colored. They have keeled scales, slender bodies, and wedge-shaped heads, according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Their pupils are round, as are most nonvenomous snakes'.
Some species of rat snakes reach lengths of 10 feet, though 4 to 6 feet long is more common, according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.
The following is a description of some common rat snake species' appearances.