Reptiles › Colubrid Snakes
Western Ratsnake
Pantherophis obsoletus
28 photos
Study shows up to four per card, from different observers, so you learn the species rather than one picture. Heart the good ones and swap any you do not like.
Photos you add are credited to you, and you keep the copyright.
Easily confused with
Central RatsnakePantherophis alleghaniensis
Great Plains RatsnakePantherophis emoryi
North American RacerColuber constrictor
Prairie KingsnakeLampropeltis calligaster
Plain-bellied WatersnakeNerodia erythrogaster
Diamondback WatersnakeNerodia rhombifer
Eastern Hognose SnakeHeterodon platirhinos
Gopher SnakePituophis catenifer
Study checks a spoken answer against these, and tells you which one you named.
Where it is recorded
| United States | 27,992 |
|---|---|
| Texas | 18,500 |
| Missouri | 2,499 |
| Oklahoma | 2,055 |
| Arkansas | 1,850 |
| Kansas | 1,743 |
| Louisiana | 977 |
| Illinois | 710 |
| Virginia | 462 |
| Maryland | 260 |
Counts show where people looked, not only where it lives.
Traits
Behavioral
- CarnivoreEats other animals or animal-derived prey as a major part of its diet.Inferred from its group
Group and habits
- PredatorDescends from an animal lineage whose members commonly hunt other animals.Inferred from its group
Classification
| Kingdom | Animals · Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordates · Chordata |
| Class | Reptiles · Reptilia |
| Order | Snakes and Lizards · Squamata |
| Family | Colubrid Snakes · Colubridae |
| Genus | North American Ratsnakes · Pantherophis |
Sources
- Names, taxonomy and observation counts: www.inaturalist.org
- Photos and recordings: the creator and source are on each one.
- How much to rely on each source
Remember the name next time.
Practise Western Ratsnake with real photos from different observers. Say the name out loud, and it comes back just before you would forget it.