20 SERPENTS OF THE NORTHEASTERN STATES 



mobile party in what was described as the central part of the pine 

 barrens, probably not far from where Dr. Fowler recorded it. 



Coloration and pattern are very striking. The ground hue is 

 gray, tan or reddish. On the back is a series of large, crimson sad- 

 dles, narrowly bordered with black. There is a series of similar 

 blotches, though smaller, on the sides. The abdomen is white, with 

 large black squares. The pattern is rather similar to that of the 

 milk snake, but the corn snake has faintly keeled scales. In its 

 southerly range it attains a length of six feet. The name of corn 

 snake is derived from its habit of frequenting fields of ripening grain, 

 where rodents may be plentiful. 



Food consists of small rodents and birds. The species is ovi- 

 parous. 



General range: Southern New Jersey to Florida; westward to 

 the Mississippi. 



Mountain Blacksnake 



(Pilot Blacksnake) 



Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta (Say) 



(Fig. 11) 



The largest local species, attaining a length of eight feet and a 

 diameter of two inches. A specimen captured near Forestine, Sullivan 

 County, New York, was eight feet four inches long, and during its 

 struggles to escape it disgorged a full-grown red squirrel. It is a 

 powerful constrictor. 



As previously explained, this species is quite similar to the black 

 racer on gross examination. However, it may be distinguished by 

 the faintly keeled scales, wide head, stouter body, and tendency of 

 the scales to show narrow white edges, also by a considerable portion 

 of the abdomen being white. 



Distribution of this species points to its preference for higher 

 ground. It often climbs into trees, lying on heavy horizontal branches 

 which terminate near a sheltering crevice formed by the disintegration 

 of a rotted knot. Specimens were found living in a great tree and 

 sheltering in a hollow area immediately beneath a colony of wild bees. 

 They have been noted in the Kittatinnies, the Hudson Highlands, the 

 Ramapo Mountains and elevated portions of Connecticut. A six-foot 

 specimen was taken on a hill near the reservoir immediately outside 

 the city limits of White Plains, in Westchester County, New York. 



The food consists of rodents and birds, apparently never cold- 

 blooded prey. While alleged to commit depredations among small 

 birds, its rodent-destroying habits should be noted. Also, the fact 



