''Pantherophis bairdi'' is a species of harmless snake in the family

Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...

. The species is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent northeastern Mexico. No

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

are recognized as being valid.

Geographic range and habitat

''P. bairdi'' is found in the United States in the Big Bend region of western Texas, as well as in northern Mexico in the Mexican states of

Coahuila Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico. Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...

Nuevo León Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...

, and Tamaulipas. It is known to be elusive and hard to find in the wild. ''P. bairdi'' prefers semi-arid, rocky habitats.

Etymology and common names

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 ...

, ''bairdi'', as well as several of the common names, are in honor of American zoologist

Spencer Fullerton Baird Spencer Fullerton Baird (; February 3, 1823 – August 19, 1887) was an American naturalist, ornithologist, ichthyologist, Herpetology, herpetologist, and museum curator. Baird was the first curator to be named at the Smithsonian Institution. He ...

. Common names include: Baird's rat snake, Baird's ratsnake, Baird's pilot snake, Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. Ithaca & London: Comstock Publishing Associates. (7th printing, 1985). 1,105 pp. (in 2 volumes). . (''Elaphe bairdi'', pp. 214-218 + Figure 67 + Map 24 on p. 235). Baird's Coluber, and Great Bend rat snake.

Description

Adults of ''P. bairdi'' may reach in total length (including tail). The dorsal color pattern consists of an orange-yellow to bright yellow, or a darker salmon ground color, overlaid with four stripes that run from the neck to the tail. The belly is generally gray to yellow, darkening near the tail.

Biology

The primary diet of ''P. bairdi'' consists of rodents, although it will also prey on birds. Juveniles often eat

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

s. Baird's rat snake is typically more pleasantly tempered than other rat snake species. ''P. bairdi'' is

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...

. Adult females may lay a

clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...

of up to 10 eggs that take about 3 months to hatch.

Taxonomy

''Pantherophis bairdi'' has sometimes been considered a subspecies of ''

Pantherophis obsoletus ''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. Ther ...

'', to which it is closely related. ''Pantherophis bairdi'' has often been placed in the genus ''Elaphe'', but recent phylogenetic analyses have resulted in its transfer to the genus ''Pantherophis''. Pyron RA, Burbrink FT (2009). "Neogene diversification and taxonomic stability in the snake tribe Lampropeltini (Serpentes: Colubridae)". ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 52: 524-529.

References

* Behler JL, King FW (1979). ''The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians''. New York: Knopf. 743 pp. . (''Elaphe obsoleta bairdi'', p. 606 + Plate 509). * Collins JT, Taggart TW (2008). "An alternative classification of the New World Rat Snakes (genus ''Pantherophis'' eptilia: Squamata: Colubridae". ''Journal of Kansas Herpetology'' 26: 16-18. * Conant R (1975). ''A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. + Plates 1-48. (hardcover), (paperback). (''Elaphe obsoleta bairdi'', p. 196 + Plate 28 + Map 149). * Powell R, Conant R, Collins JT (2016). ''Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition''. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiv + 494 pp. . (''Pantherophis bairdi'', pp. 384–386, Figure 180 + Plate 36, Figure 161). * Schmidt KP, Davis DD (1941). ''Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 365 pp. (''Elaphe bairdi'', pp. 144–145, Figure 38). * Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). ''Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification''. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. . (''Elaphe obsoleta bairdi'', p. 184). * Stejneger L, Barbour T (1917). ''A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles''. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 125 pp. (''Elaphe bairdi'', p. 82). * Yarrow HC (1880). ''In:'' Cope ED (1880). "On the Zoological Position of Texas". ''Bulletin of the United States National Museum'' (17): 1-51. (''Coluber bairdi'', new species, p. 41).

External links

''Elaphe bairdi''
a
Herps of Texas
. Accessed 29 November 2008.

a

Accessed 29 November 2008. {{Taxonbar, from=Q2701965 Pantherophis Reptiles of the United States Reptiles of Mexico Reptiles described in 1880 Taxa named by Henry Crécy Yarrow