Page 22 - Arkansas Snake Guide
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TERRESTRIAL SNAKES
SUZANNE COLLINS
Great Plains Rat Snake
Pantherophis emoryi
Range An uncommon snake of the Ozark Plateau and
Ouachita Mountains.
Description Weakly keeled scales. A brown to light gray
body, dark brown to red-brown blotches on back. Belly
white with black or dark gray square markings. Top of head
has markings shaped like a spear point. Young patterned
like adults. Adults 24-36 inches in length.
Habitat and Habits A snake of open forests, forest
edges and rocky hillsides. Active from March-October.
Breeds in spring, lays from 3-30 eggs that hatch by
September. A constrictor, it feeds on rodents, birds, and in
areas with caves, it will feed on bats.
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