Trans-Pecos+Rat+Snake

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//Bogertrophis subocularis// Order: Squamata

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Diet Requirements

 * In the wild, Trans-Pecos rat snakes eat rodents, birds, and small lizards.
 * In captivity, they are fed rodents.

Notes on Enrichment & Training


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Potential Messaging

 * Snakes are an important link in the food chain. They provide food for many bird and mammal species that prey on them. The main diet of most snakes is rodents. Therefore, snakes provide a very valuable service – pest control. Most snakes are non-venomous and will avoid humans if they can. Venomous snakes want to use their venom to kill small prey animals or to defend themselves; since humans are too big to be considered prey by most snakes, the best way to avoid a bite is not to make the snake feel threatened. Ask guests to avoid any snakes they may see in the wild and appreciate them from a distance. [][]
 * Desert and Dryland species have specific adaptations for the temperature and water availability in their natural habitat and may not be able to adjust to the drying effects of climate change. Hotter conditions promote wildfires. More extreme drought conditions kill plants that hold the soil in place and occasional extreme rain events wash that soil away preventing them from growing back in a process called desertification. Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels contributes to climate change by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Please ask guests to walk, bike, or take public transportation when possible and to reduce their use of fossil fuels when they do drive by buying a fuel economic car, carpooling, combining errands, and keeping vehicles properly tuned up and their tires properly inflated. At home and work, purchase Energy Star appliances, turn off lights when they are not in use, and use heaters and air conditioners sparingly. The principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle will also help by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions involved with the manufacture and disposal of unnecessary goods. [][] https://biomesfirst09.wikispaces.com/Desert+Conservation[]

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Range and Habitat
This snake is native to the Big Bend and Trans-Pecos regions of Texas and southern New Mexico, southwards to north-central Mexico. They can be find in warm, arid deserts.

Physical Description
The background color of this snake is straw to olive-yellow. The neck is marked with a pair of stripes that fade and become H-shaped blotches on the body. Trans-Pecos rat snakes have large eyes. This species is distinct from rat snakes in the genus //Elaphe// in that they bear an extra row of scales that separate the eye from the upper lip scales. This is what gives this species its scientific name, //subocularis//. Trans-Pecos rat snakes could reach 5.5 feet in length.

Life Cycle
This species is a late breeder, with breeding occurring as late as June, and the eggs being laid in August or September. 3 to 7 eggs are laid per clutch, and incubation lasts 10.5 to 15 weeks. Hatchlings are 11 to 14 inches long, and they will reach sexual maturity at 2 to 3 years of age. In the wild, these rat snakes can live 10 to 15 years, but life span could exceed 20 years in captivity.

Behavior
Chiefly nocturnal, Trans-Pecos rat snakes will spend the day in rock crevices or abandoned burrows.

Threats and Conservation Status
This species is not considered endangered.

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=__Contributors and Citations__=
 * The Philadelphia Zoo
 * Houston Zoo, Natural Encounters