Slowinski's corn snake (''Pantherophis emoryi slowinskii'') is a

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

of nonvenomous

snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

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 subspecies is indigenous to

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, eastern

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, and

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

Classification

''Pantherophis emoryi slowinskii'' has long been considered an intergrade of the

corn snake The corn snake (''Pantherophis guttatus''), sometimes called red rat snake is a species of North American rat snake in the Family (biology), family Colubridae. The species subdues its small prey by constriction. It is found throughout the sout ...

(''Pantherophis guttata'') and the Great Plains rat snake (''Pantherophis emoryi)''. In 2002 it was proposed to be elevated to species status with the name ''Pantherophis slowinskii'' in honor the memory of American herpetologist Joseph Bruno Slowinski. However, the reclassification has not been widely recognized; as of May 2024, the

Reptile Database The Reptile Database is a scientific database that collects taxonomic information on all living reptile species (i.e. no fossil species such as dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared ...

continues to consider it a subspecies. The variations are probably best identified in

by simply consulting a range map, given that their ranges in the state do not overlap.

Description

Slowinski's corn snake is medium-sized and colored grayish-brown, with a series of large, alternating, chocolate-brown blotches. These blotches are often bordered in black. It has a spearhead marking on the head. The belly is checkered black and white, giving it an appearance of maize (its close relative, the corn snake, is believed to have gotten its name for this belly pattern). While this subspecies resembles superficially the prairie kingsnake (''Lampropeltis calligaster''), the spearhead marking present on the head of Slowinski's corn snake is usually sufficient for identification. Its body has a rounded top, steep sides, and a flat belly. The young of this subspecies can be distinguished from those of the

western rat snake ''Pantherophis obsoletus'', also known commonly as the western rat snake, black rat snake, pilot black snake, or simply black snake, is a nonvenomous species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to central North America. No s ...

(''Pantherophis obsoletus'') by considering the dark bar that runs through each eye. In Slowinski's corn snake, this bar extends through the jawline and onto the neck, whereas in the western rat snake the bar extends only to the jawline where it stops abruptly.

Behavior

This subspecies, ''Pantherophis emoryi slowinskii'', is nocturnal and quite secretive. Like its sister-species, the Great Plains rat snake (''Pantherophis emoryi)'', it is an excellent climber and likely spends a large portion of its time up in trees. These habits together may explain why it is so infrequently encountered by humans. Its nocturnal tendencies may also help it avoid dangers, such as day-foraging hawks. Slowinski's corn snake is likely similar in temperament to its sister-species, the Great Plains rat snake, which is very tame. Slowinski's corn snake relies mainly on camouflage for defense and rarely bites. This species feeds primarily on small

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

s and

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

Prey Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not ki ...

, when caught, is constricted and consumed. Presumably, it follows an activity pattern similar to other rat snakes: hibernate through winter, breed in the spring, and lay eggs in the summer.

Distribution and abundance

The abundance of the species ''P. emoryi slowinskii'' is largely unknown. The lack of voucher specimens from Arkansas seems to indicate that it is extremely rare in that state, being known only from isolated localities in the southeastern part. Trauth et al. indicate only a single locality in the state, Drew County.

References

Bibliography

* Behler JL, King FW (1987). ''The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians.'' 3rd ed. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 743 pp. * Conant R, Collins JT (1998). ''A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America.'' 3rd ed., Expanded. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 616 pp. *Irwin KJ (2004). ''Arkansas Snake Guide''. Little Rock: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. 50 pp. * (''Pantherophis slowinskii'', new combination). * Trauth SE, Robison HW, Plummer MV (2004). ''Amphibians and Reptiles of Arkansas''. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press. 421 pp. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Snake, Slowinski's corn Slowinski's corn Slowinski's corn snake Endemic reptiles of the United States Fauna of the Plains-Midwest (United States) Fauna of the Great Plains Slowinski's corn snake Reptiles described in 2002