Description: The Great Plains rat snake is typically light gray or tan in color, with dark gray, brown, or green-gray blotching down its back, and stripes on either side of the head which meet to form a point between the eyes. It is capable of growing to 3–5 feet in total length (including tail).
Habitat: The Great Plains rat snake prefers open grassland or lightly forested habitats, but is also found on coastal plains, semi-arid regions, as well as rocky, moderately mountainous regions. It can often be found on farmland, which often leads to its being erroneously called a chicken snake, and other areas with a relatively high rodent population, which is its primary diet.
Range: Great Plains rat snakes (Pantheris emoryi) are native to the United States and northern Mexico. They live in a wide variety of habitats that range from southwestern Illinois to southwestern Colorado and from eastern New Mexico to northern Mexico. These snakes occur throughout most of Kansas, following the Arkansas, Smoky Hill, Soloman, Saline, Cimarron, and Republican rivers. They are absent in much of the rest of the High Plains, the formerly glaciated regions north of the Kansas River and east of the Flint Hills, the Wellington Lowlands, and the lower Neosho River basin. There is an isolated population along the Bear Creek drainage in Stanton County, Kansas, which is further supported by specimens in adjacent areas of Colorado.
Diet: Rodents are the main prey item of Great Plains rat snakes. They will also eat grassland birds (including eggs), and occasionally other snakes, lizards, and frogs. They subdue all prey items via constriction. They also frequent caves, where they eat bats. There are no studies quantifying diet components by percentage. It is unknown if juvenile diets differ from adults.
Reproduction: Reported mating dates for Great Plains rat snakes are between May 26th and June 9th. During breeding season males are combative towards other males. Great Plains rat snakes are polygynandrous, meaning males and females both have multiple mates. These snakes communicate with their mates using a complex rhythmic dance. This behavior usually involves touching followed by a male chasing a female. This is followed by more rhythmic dancing and forward jerking. Males usually bite females in their necks or trunks before mating is complete. Great Plains snakes are oviparous and their natural egg-laying sites include standing and fallen hollow trees, compost, mulch and sawdust piles, and decomposing logs. Some of these sites are used repeatedly.
Great Plains rat snakes breed once yearly, in May or early June. After 5 to 7 weeks of gestation, female Great Plains rat snakes lay 12 to 24 eggs in June or July. These eggs incubate for 55 to 60 days; this time may vary depending on the temperature and other environmental conditions. If the summers are cooler and ground temperatures drop below 26.67°C, it can lead to longer incubation times. Larger females lay larger eggs and have larger clutch sizes. Hatchlings range from 25.4 to 30.48 cm in length and have birth masses from 9.4 to 13.2g. The number of offspring produced successfully is 3 to 12. Hatchlings are immediately independent and will stay near their hatching site for up to two years. Females reach sexual maturity at 8 to 10 years. For males it only takes 6 to 8 years.
Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the large and relatively stable extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size.
Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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