''Pantherophis ramspotti'', commonly known as the western fox snake, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

rat snake Rat snakes are members – along with kingsnakes, milk snakes, Oxybelis, vine snakes and indigo snakes – of the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. They are medium to large Constriction, constrictors and are found throughout much o ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from , 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest fossil species of the family date back to the Late Eocene epoch, with earlier origins suspected. C ...

. The species is native to the upper

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

, west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. It is

nonvenomous Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

Etymology

The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

, ''ramspotti'', is in honor of the late aspiring herpetologist Joseph Ramspott.

Species status

Prior to 2011, when ''P. ramspotti'' was proposed as a new species, it was thought to be the same species as '' P. vulpinus'', and ''P. vulpinus'' was sometimes called the western fox snake. A 2011 paper by Crother,

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, Savage, Eckstut, Graham and Gardner proposed that the

be established as the species boundary between two species of fox snakes, and that those found to its east be considered ''P. vulpinus'' (including those previously known as ''

P. gloydi ''Pantherophis vulpinus'', Common name, commonly known as the foxsnake or the eastern fox snake,species:Brian I. Crother, Crother BI (editor) (2008). ''Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of M ...

'' ) and those found to its west be given the new name ''P. ramspotti''. This proposed that ''P. vulpinus'', which had been known as the western fox snake, become known as the eastern fox snake, and the new ''P. ramspotti'' become known as the western fox snake.

Geographic range

''P. ramspotti'' is found in the upper Midwestern United States, west of the Mississippi River. The range of the closely related '' Pantherophis vulpinus'' is east of the Mississippi River. The two species overlap along the eastern side of the Mississippi River, but there is no intergrade zone.

Habitat

''P. ramspotti'' is found in a variety of

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s, both natural and disturbed. Preferred natural habitats include

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally o ...

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

, and freshwater

wetlands A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...

. Disturbed habitats include pastures, old fields, and other farmland.

Diet

Fox snakes are constrictors and primarily feed on mice and other small rodents. They may also consume young rabbits, frogs, and eggs.

Behavior

''P. ramspotti'' is fairly bold and will travel in close proximity to other animals and humans if undisturbed. When confronted, it "rattles" its tail to imitate a rattlesnake and to attempt to deter the perceived threat. It will also go into an "S" position and snap rapidly in succession. These are all defensive maneuvers in an effort to escape.

Reproduction

''P. ramspotti'' is

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that reproduce by depositing fertilized zygotes outside the body (i.e., by laying or spawning) in metabolically independent incubation organs known as eggs, which nurture the embryo into moving offsprings kno ...

. Eggs are laid in humus in old stumps and under logs.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q3362475 Reptiles described in 2011 Reptiles of the United States Snakes of North America Pantherophis Endemic reptiles of the United States