Western Fox Snake

ANIMAL:
Western Fox Snake          Pantherophis ramspotti

Type of Animal:
Colubrid

Habitat:
Woodland, fields, dunes, prairie, farmland, forest, woodland/forest edge, abandoned rural buildings, sheds, barns, pastures, marshland, grassland

Location(s):
W of Mississippi River in S Minnesota, Iowa, N Missouri, Nebraska, SE South Dakota

Appearance:
Gray/tan/light background w/ pronounced dark brown/reddish-brown blotches along body, interspersed w/ smaller dark brown blotches along sides, rusty/copper/orange head w/ reduced/faded markings, juveniles light gray w/ dark blotches, fairly robust snake

Food/Diet:
Rodents, rabbits, birds, frogs, eggs, insects

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos, wildlife centers, & herpetoculture

Lifestyle:
Solitary

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young-Snakelet
Group-Solitary

Weight:
Male-2 lbs
Female-1.9 lbs

Gestation:
2 months 

Life Span:
15 years

Body Length:
Male-3.6 ft
Female-3.28 ft
Young-1.5 ft

Tail Length:
1 ft

Main predators are larger snakes, bears, wolves, coyotes, foxes, owls, hawks, falcons, eagles, bobcats, large waterbirds, badgers, dogs, cats, raccoons, skunks, otters, weasels, & pigs.

Breeds in spring & lay 6-30 eggs in July-August.

Kills prey by constriction.

Diurnal during spring & fall, but more nocturnal during summer.

They bask to increase body temperature & accumulate energy.

They hibernate in underground dens during the winter.

Primarily terrestrial but can climb trees & swim as well.

Males fight by wrestling each other.

They can make decent pets.

Their shape helps them move through grass w/o making much noise.

Teeth point towards back of mouth.

Like most snakes, they breathe using forked tongue.

Fun Fact(s):
Like other snakes, they don’t have eyelids & can’t blink/close their eyes.

Often mistaken for larger nonvenomous bull snakes & venomous copperheads.

Sometimes called “chicken snakes” since they eat young chickens/eggs sometimes.

Called “fox snake” since it gives off fox-like musky odor when handled.

When left alone, these snakes very docile.
 
Hisses & sometimes makes a rattly sound when threatened. When it does this, it’s sometimes killed due to being mistaken for venomous rattlesnake.

They’re very valuable since they control rodent populations.

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