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Re: Ratsnake ranges... for Dwight especially....

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Posted by Dwight Good on January 26, 2003 at 09:38:26:

In Reply to: Re: Ratsnake ranges... for Dwight especially.... posted by meretseger on January 26, 2003 at 07:12:41:

:How do we tell the eastern black rats from the midlands black rats...?

Depends on where you found the snake, if you are referring to wild caught animals. The locality would dictate if the snake was eastern or midland. If the snake was captive raised and you didn't know the original locality then perhaps mtDNA testing would be required to differentiate between eastern and midland.

And what are we CALLING midlands black rats? Did they get rid of the subspecific designations?

Midland rats are also known as Elaphe spiloides. Their range is from the Mississippi River eastward to the Appalachians. Below is a quote from the CNAH website.

Synonymized as a subspecies by Burbrink, Lawson & Slowinski (2000 Evolution 54(6): 2107-2118), although the name spiloides may be applicable to the distinct lineage (= species) found between the Apalachicola River and the Mississippi River, which will receive the standardized common name, Midland Rat Snake. - Posted:1/1/2000

This change occurred a few years ago, I thought most people were aware of this? Click on the link below to see basic info and photos of Elaphe obsoleta, Elaphe spiloides, and Elaphe alleghaniensis. LOL, I guess now they are changing once again to Pantherophis?



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