Elaphe
Elaphe | |
---|---|
Japanese rat snake, E. climacophora
| |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Colubridae |
Subfamily: | Colubrinae |
Genus: | Elaphe Wagler, 1833 |
Synonyms | |
Callopeltis, Elaphis, Scotophis |
Elaphe is a genus of snakes in the family Colubridae. Elaphe is one of the main genera of the rat snakes, which are found in many regions of the northern hemisphere. Elaphe species are medium to large constrictors by nature.
Based on the mitochondrial DNA analysis results, many species of Elaphe have been moved to the genera Bogertophis, Coelognathus, Gonyosoma, Orthriophis, Pantherophis, Rhinechis, Senticolis, Zamenis, and others.[1] Nevertheless, the generic name Elaphe is still widely used.
Physical characteristics
Like most of the
Internally, Elaphe spp. do not have any observable
Senses
Elaphe spp. have very developed sensory organs which support their daily activities. They have internal ears that enables them to detect sounds at low frequencies. The ears consist of a single ear bone connected to a jaw bone. Compared to other snakes, they are considered to have highly developed vision that allows them to detect the movement of their
Lifecycle and behavior
The lifespan of Elaphe spp. is generally 15 years. Males live a little longer than females,[7]
but some species, such as E. guttata (now considered
Elaphe spp. generally reach sexual maturity after 18–24 months. They usually mate with the opposite sex after emerging from hibernation in the spring. The gestation period of females is around 1.5 months, and females can lay up to 30 eggs in a clutch, the number varying between species. E. guttata and E. obsoleta, among others, are mostly diurnal, but some species are more active in late afternoon or at dusk. Throughout the year, they are usually active from April to October, followed by a period of hibernation.
Hibernation
Elaphe spp. hibernate, especially those that live in cold regions, because snakes are cold-blooded, which makes their body temperature susceptible to the temperature of their environments. Thus, they need to maintain their body energy by switching locations and remaining physiologically inactive when winter comes.[9] The hibernacula sites vary depending on the habitats they live in, yet the most important requirement of a hibernaculum site is that it needs to be frost-free. Some Elaphe spp. hibernate in the rock crevices, rock faults, and burrows.[10] However, other species choose to hibernate in rotting logs, roots of trees, and hollow spaces in elevated tree trunks. Some snakes that live close to human communities even hibernate in old wells and barns.[11]
Most members of the genus Elaphe start their hibernation in October and emerge again the next spring. The length of the hibernation varies by species.
Reproduction
E. obsoleta generally starts to mate in late April, May, and early June after the winter hibernation. Males try to attract females with
After copulation, Elaphe spp. seek an appropriate place to lay the developing eggs. They usually lay eggs in the soft heart of a rotten log or in sandy soil under a rock. A good place for laying eggs is one that is damp but not wet, and warm but not hot. After laying eggs, the female snake covers them up with sand or soil, and then she leaves.[15] A few species remain with the eggs until they hatch about 9 weeks later.
Oviparous E. obsoleta lays 12–20 eggs under logs or leaves in late summer, which hatch in the fall. The adult snakes return to their hibernation dens in the late fall.[13] E. guttata breeds from March to May. The mating process is similar to E. obsoleta. E. guttata lays 10–30 eggs in late May to July. The eggs are generally not protected by the adults. After 60–65 days, the eggs hatch in July through September.[8]
Defense mechanisms
Many species of Elaphe are known for being nonaggressive and shy. They are prone to freeze their movements when they are shocked or encountering danger. This motionless response has contributed to many road kills of Elaphe. However, some Elaphe spp. tend to be more defensive if they are continually provoked. For example,
Locomotion
Elaphe spp. move forward using side-to-side, serpentine movement. They use the curved ventral scales of their bodies to grab the rough ground surfaces and then push against the ground to generate a forward movement. Thus, the smoother the ground is, the harder it is for them to move across it.[1] Many species apply similar mechanisms when climbing trees.
Predation
Adult Elaphe spp. primarily prey on
Habitat and distribution
Elaphe spp. live in a great variety of environments, depending on species and subspecies. Most are terrestrial or semiarboreal, but some burrow in sand or loose soil. The genus formerly contained species found on every continent except Antarctica. Taxonomic revisions have renamed most of these former Elaphe, leaving only 10 Eurasian taxa remaining in Elaphe.[17]
Species
The following 18 species are recognized as being valid.[18]
- Elaphe anomala (Boulenger, 1916)
- Elaphe bimaculata Schmidt, 1925 – Chinese leopard snake
- Elaphe cantoris(Boulenger, 1894) – eastern trinket snake
- Elaphe carinata (Günther, 1864) – Taiwan stink snake
- Elaphe climacophora (H. Boie, 1826) – Japanese rat snake
- Elaphe davidi (Sauvage, 1884) – Pere David's rat snake
- Elaphe dione (Pallas, 1773) – steppe rat snake
- Elaphe druzei Jablonski, Ribeiro Jr., Simonov, Šoltys, & Meiri, 2023
- Elaphe hodgsoni (Günther, 1860)
- Elaphe moellendorffi (Boettger, 1886) – flower snake, Moellendorf’s rat snake
- Elaphe quadrivirgata(H. Boie, 1826) – Japanese four-lined rat snake
- Elaphe quatuorlineata (Lacépède, 1789) – four-lined snake
- Elaphe sauromates(Pallas, 1811) – blotched rat snake, Sarmatian rat snake, eastern four-lined rat snake
- Elaphe schrenckii Strauch, 1873 – Amur rat snake, Siberian rat snake
- Elaphe taeniura (Cope, 1861) – beauty snake, Taiwan beauty snake; Sakishima beauty snake; blue beauty rat snake
- Elaphe urartica Jablonski, Kukushkin, Avcı, Bunyatova, Ilgaz, Tuniyev & Jandzik, 2019 – Urartian rat snake
- Elaphe xiphodonta Qi, Shi, Ma, Gao, Bu, Grismer, Li & Wang, 2021 – Qin Emperor rat snake, blade-toothed rat snake
- Elaphe zoigeensis Huang, Ding, Burbrink, Yang, Huang, Ling, Chen & Zhang, 2012 – Zoige rat snake
References
- ^ ISBN 0-7641-3407-8.
- ^ a b Burton, M.; Burton, R. (1969). "Rat Snake". The International Wildlife Encyclopedia. (pp. 1909–1910). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp.
- ^ a b c Wright, A.H.; Wright, A.A. (1957). Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates, a Division of Cornell University Press. 1,105 pp. (in 2 volumes). ("Rat Snakes", p. 209; Elaphe emoryi, longevity, p. 220).
- ISBN 0-395-19977-8(paperback).
- ^ a b Wernert, S.J. (1982). Reptiles. Reader's Digest North American Wild Life. Pleasantville, New York: Reader's Digest. p. 174.
- ^ Evans, A.V.; Garrison, R.W.; Schlager, N.; Hutchins, M.; Murphy, J. (2004). Vol 7. Grzimeks' Animal life Encyclopedia (2nd ed., p. 467). Detroit: Thomson-Gale.
- ^ "Rat snakes – lifecycle, predation, diet, bites, hibernation, pictures and videos." Ratsnake.org. (2010-09-23).
- ^ JSTOR 1443884.
- ^ a b
George, L. (2002). Mating. Rat Snake (1 ed.), Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone Press, pp. 33–34, ISBN 0736809090.
- ^ a b
Roots, C. (2006). Uncontrolled Hypothermia. Hibernation, Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, p. 88, ISBN 0313335443.
- ^
ISBN 0292791305.
- ^ Knight, Rex; Korell, Sacha (1997). "Ratsnakes of the Genus Elaphe – Species." Ratsnakes of the Genus Elaphe – Introduction. OnlineHobbyist.com, Inc. (2010-09-22).
- ^ a b LeClere, Jeff (2005). Iowa Reptiles and Amphibians – Rat Snake – Elaphe obsoleta. HerpNet – Home. Web. 22 Sept. 2010.
- ^ a b Trepanowski, P. (2003). "Elaphe obsoleta", Animal Diversity Web. Accessed September 22, 2010.
- ^ Bateman, G. (1981). Snakes. The Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians (pp. 115, 117).
- ^ Ziesmann, Jurgen. (2010). Vertebrate Biology Lecture Notes: Reptiles 09. Azusa Pacific University
- .
- ^ Genus Elaphe at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
External links
- Pantherophis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 14 July 2008.