Rat snake
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 A yellow rat snake
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Rat snakes are a large, polyphyletic, group of snakes from the Colubrid subfamily Colubrinae. Many species tend to be very skittish and sometimes aggressive but the genus is nonvenomous and bites are usually superficial. A variety of species like Elaphe guttata guttata are known for the ease with which they are tamed and are common in the pet trade. There is considerable variation between different types of rat snake but most are medium to large, rodent eating snakes.
Previously most were assigned to the genus Elaphe but many have been since renamed. The validity of some genera is debatable but for the purpose of this article a more liberal taxonomic stance will be taken. Rat snakes have traditionally been divided into two groups, New World and Old World species.
Examples of snakes found in the Elaphe include:
- Elaphe bairdi (Baird's rat snake)
- Elaph bimaculata (Twin-spotted rat snake)
- Elaphe carinata (King rat snake)
- Elaphe climacophora (Japanese rat snake)
- Elaph conspicillata (Japanese forest rat snake)
- Elaphe davidi (David's rat snake)
- Elaphe dione (Dione's rat snake)
- Elaphe emoryi (Great Plains rat snake)
- Elaphe erythrura (Philippine rat snake)
- Elaphe flavirufa (Mexican night snake)
- Elaphe flavolineata (Yellow-striped rat snake)
- Elaphe gloydi (Eastern fox snake)
- Elaphe guttata (Corn snake)
- Elaphe helena (Trinket snake)
- Elaphe hohenacker (Transcaucasian rat snake)
- Elaphe leonardi (Leonard's rat snake)
- Striped Aesculapian rat snake
- Elaphe longissima (Aesculapian snake)
- Elaphe maculata
- Elaphe mandarina (Mandarin rat snake)
- Elaphe moellendorfi (flower snake)
- Elaphe obsoleta (Black rat snake)
- Elaphe perlacea (Pearl-banded rat snake)
- Elaphe persica (Persian rat snake)
- Elaph porphyracea (Black-banded trinket snake)
- Elaph prasina (Green rat snake)
- Elaphe quadrivirgata (Japanese striped snake)
- Elaphe quatuorlineata (Four-lined snake)
- Elaphe radiata (Radiated rat snake)
- Elaphe rufodorsata (Red-backed rat snake)
- Elaphe scalaris (Ladder snake)
- Elaphe schrencki (Korean rat snake)
- Elaphe subradiata (Indonesian rat snake)
- Elaphe taeniura (Beauty rat snake)
- Elaphe vulpina (Fox snake)
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[edit] New World Rat Snakes
New World rat snakes belong to the Colubrine tribe Lampropeltinae, and as such are closely related to Lampropeltis (milk snakes and king snakes), Pituophis (gopher snakes, pine snakes and bull snakes), Rhinocheilus (longnose snakes), Arizona (glossy snakes) and Stilosoma (short-tailed snakes). The entire Lampropeltinid group is descended from Old World rat snakes that crossed the Bering Land Bridge sometime within the last twenty to thirty million years.
The New World rat snakes consist of the genera Bogertophis (Trans Pecos and Baja rat snakes), Pantherophis (Corn snakes, Fox snakes and American rat snakes), Pseudelaphe (Central American rat snake) and Senticolis (Green rat snake).
[edit] Old World Rat Snakes
The Genera Elaphe, Euprepiophis, Oreophis, Orthriophis, Ptyas, Rhinechis, and Zamenis constitute Old-World rat snakes. See also: Persian Ratsnake
[edit] Additional Note
It is worth noting that, though the polyphyletic nature of the genus is almost undisputed, many species are conservatively referred to as Elaphe sp. See, for instance, Black Rat Snake and Grey Rat Snake, subspecies of Pantherophis obsoletus.
