Trans-Pecos Ratsnake

ANIMAL:
Trans-Pecos Ratsnake     Bogertophis subocularis

Type of Animal:
Colubrid

Habitat:
Desert flats, brushy slopes, rocky outcrops, desert, bush, rock piles, desert fringes, dry basins, desert slopes w/ creosote bush, sotol, lechuguilla, agave, yucca, ocotillo, and/or acacia, mesquite valleys, montane oak-juniper woodland, rocky areas

Location(s):
SW Texas, S New Mexico, & NE Mexico in Trans-Pecos region & Chihuahuan Desert

Appearance:
Yellow, tan, or yellowish-tan w/ black or dark-brown H-shaped markings, light eyes w/ black pupils, reddish-pinkish tongue, juveniles paler than adults

Food/Diet:
Rodents, lizards, bats, birds, smaller snakes (including smaller members of own species)

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos, wildlife centers, & herpetoculture

Lifestyle:
Solitary

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young-Snakelet
Group-Solitary

Weight:
Male-8.8 oz
Female-10.5 oz

Gestation:
2.5-3.5 months 

Life Span:
15 years

Body Length:
Male-3.5-4.5 ft
Female-5.5 ft
Young-1.5 ft

Tail Length:
1 ft

Main predators are bobcats, raptors, coyotes, corvids, larger snakes, roadrunners, & foxes.

Also called Davis Mountain Rat Snake.

They breed in May & June.

Females lay clutches of 2-11 eggs.

They’re nocturnal (active at night).

While common, they’re not often seen due to nocturnal habits. They’re seen more often in breeding season.

Like all snakes, they lack eyelids.

Sexually mature at 2-3 years.

Young snakes usually hatch from mid-July-mid-September.

Hibernates in cooler winter months.

Tends to be secretive in the wild.

Fun Fact(s):
These snakes are often called “subocs.”

These snakes can make great pets, due to docile temperament.
 

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