The Trans-Pecos rat snake or Davis Mountain rat snake (''Bogertophis subocularis''), is a species of medium to large, nonvenomous rat 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 ...

. ''Bogertophis subocularis'' is endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert.

Geographic range

The Trans-Pecos rat snake is found in the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

states of

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

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 ...

Durango Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...

, and

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 its range extends northward into Texas and New Mexico in the United States. Wright, Albert Hazen; Wright, Anna Allen (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. Ithaca and London: Comstock. 1,105 pp. (in two volumes). (''Elaphe subocularis'', pp. 255-259, Figure 79 + Map 23 on p. 223).

Description

''B. subocularis'' has a row of small scales (

suboculars In scaled reptiles, the ocular scales are those forming the margin of the eye.Wright AH, Wright AA. 1957. ''Handbook of Snakes''. Comstock Publishing Associates (7th printing, 1985). 1105 pp. . The name originates from the term ''oculus'' which ...

) between the lower border of the eye and the upper labials. 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 subocularis'', pp. 152-153, Figure 41). Coloration is yellow to tan dorsally with a series of black, or dark brown, H-shaped markings. 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 subocularis'', p. 197 + Plate 32 + Map 151). The eye is large and prominent, light-colored with a contrasting round black pupil. The tongue is pink. The dorsal scales are in 31-35 rows at midbody. The ventrals number 260-277; the subcaudals number 69-79. Smith, Hobart M.; Brodie, Edmund D. Jr (1982). ''Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification''. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. (hardcover), (paperback). (''Elaphe subocularis'', pp. 184-185). Adults are usually 36-54 inches (90–137 cm) in total length (including tail). The record total length is 66 inches (168 cm). Powell, Robert; Conant, Roger; Collins, Joseph T. (2016). ''Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition''. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xsiv + 494 pp. . (''Bogertophis subocularis'', p. 384 + Plate 35).

Habitat

The Trans-Pecos rat snake's habitat consists of

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

flats and brushy slopes, and rocky outcrops where it dens.

Diet

''B. subocularis'' feeds on small vertebrates.

Behavior

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

species, ''B. subocularis'' is uncommon and rarely seen in the wild, save on warm summer nights during the breeding season. Nicknamed "suboc" by enthusiasts, it is nonaggressive when approached, even passive, and is easily raised in captivity.

Sexual dimorphism

''B. subocularis'' exhibits sexual dimorphism. Females are larger than males as adults. Adult males reach between 3.5 and 4.5 feet (1.1-1.4 m) in total length (including tail); whereas females grow up to 5.5 feet (1.7 m).

Reproduction

The breeding season for ''B. subocularis'' runs through May and June, while egg-laying begins in July and ends by September. At nearly three months, their incubation period is lengthy for a snake, at the end of which 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 anywhere from three to 11 snakes, each in total length, hatch. As they are hatched during winter, the hatchlings may remain hidden underground for several months before venturing outside.

References

External links

Simply SubocsSuboc.com
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2697414 Colubrids Fauna of the Chihuahuan Desert Reptiles of Mexico Reptiles of the United States Reptiles described in 1901