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Texas Rat
Snake? Frisco, Texas: August 12, 2004
Thanks to S.M., Frisco, Texas, for sending in this photo This snake was presumed to be a cottonmouth and, therefore, was killed by its captor. The error in identification was first made by a SPCA expert a year prior to this incident as reported on another page. As a result, we cannot blame the gentleman in the photo for thinking he had killed something that, as we say in Texas, "needed killin'" He knows better now.
The dark, consistent spinal saddles on most of this snake's body make it obvious that it is not a western cottonmouth, which has no saddles, but only poorly-defined cross-band markings on its midbody. Its long, narrow body also distinguishes it from that species; the western cottonmouth is short and stout, and in Texas rarely exceeds three feet in length. The saddle markings displayed on this specimen's spine are not unique to any given species, but are found on the glossy snakes of the genus Arizona, the corn and rat snakes of the genus Elaphe, the bull snake and the Louisiana pine snake of the genus Pituophis, and even the Texas long-nosed snake of the genus Rhinocheilus. It is not possible to identify this snake positively to species, but my first guess, that it is the same species found here in October 2003 (a juvenile Texas rat snake) was most likely incorrect. The profusion of markings on the lateral body are not typical of the Texas rat snake, but are characteristic of snakes in the genus Pituophis except that the coloration is too dark. The dark markings are consistent with the Texas glossy snake (Arizona elegans arenicola); also, although the last few inches of the snake's body are not visible, over 55 saddles can be counted to that point, and the glossy snakes have 70 or more of these. It is not a stretch to believe the remaining portion of the snake hides 15 or more saddles. Note also the head, which has a remarkably bright stripe on the posterior dorsal head and neck; this mark is prominent in the Texas glossy snake. We cannot be certain of this identification, but this seems the most logical presumption at this point. * TERMITE ENCOUNTERS * SNAKE ENCOUNTERS * SNAKE BITE FIRST AID * SNAKE EXCLUSION * SPIDER ENCOUNTERS FOR 2008 * SPIDER ENCOUNTERS FOR 2007 * SPIDER BITE FIRST AID * SPIDER EXTERMINATION * PUSS CATERPILLAR ENCOUNTERS * PUSS CATERPILLAR FIRST AID * PUSS CATERPILLAR EXTERMINATION * Assembled & Edited by Jerry Cates. Questions? Corrections? Comments? BUG ME RIGHT NOW! ---- Ph: 512-331-1111 ---- E-Mail ---- Privacy ----BugsInTheNews * --0a0s-- |
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