The Rat Snakes or Colubers 



In captivity the Corn Snake soon becomes very tame, 

 its good temper combining with the beautiful colouration, in 

 making it an attractive pet. The species frequently breeds 

 when captive and is oviparous, depositing from one to two dozen 

 }'eilowish-white eggs. These should be placed in dampened 

 wood-pulp in an ordinary living room temperature and will 

 hatcli within a period varying from six to eight weeks. 



THE PILOT BLACKSNAKE; MOUNTAIN BLACKSNAKE ; 

 THE BLACK COLUBER 



Coluber obsoletus, (Say.) 



One of the largest species. The form is quite stout and 

 the head is rather square in outline — flat at the snout. On the 

 back, the scales are feebly keeled, but the entire body is smooth 

 and glossy in appearance. 



Colouration. — Lustrous black above. When the skin is 

 distended the edges of the scales show narrow, milk-white edges, 

 existing profusely in regular order and causing the black to appear 

 as if arranged in a series of large blotches on the back and sides. 

 These white, line-like spots are sometimes mixed with spots of 

 bright red and on such specimens the skin between the scales is 

 of a rich brick-red. 



The upper portion of the head is black; the upper lip plates 

 are white, margined with black; the chin and throat are immacu- 

 late white. On the forward part of the body the abdomen is 

 white, blotched with gray; on the latter portion the gray fuses 

 over the entire surface. 



When examined in a brilliant light, from certain angles, 

 many specimens appear to be of a dark, rich brown, on which 

 body-colour may be clearly discerned the four dark bands, ex- 

 tending the length of the body, that characterise the Yellow 

 Chicken Snake, C. obsoletus, variety quadrivittatus. Young 

 specimens are grayish or brownish, boldy marked with saddles 

 of black or dark brown. 



Variations. — The species exhibits great variation. The 

 typical form is found over a wide area of the eastern United 

 States. In the Central States and the southeastern United 

 States, a gray variety, blotched with dark brown occurs. Also 

 inhabiting the southeastern United States is the Four-banded 



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