The Rat Snakes or Colubers 



Dimensions. Few specimens are over four feet in length 

 and the greater number are below this size. 



Distribution. States west of the Mississippi River, from 

 Kansas to New Mexico. Common in Texas and known as the 

 "spotted chicken snake" in some districts. The species extends 

 some distance into the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, where it 

 seems to.be more abundant than in the United States. 



Habits. Similar to the preceding species. It is not a vicious 

 snake and soon becomes very gentle in captivity. The food con- 

 sists principally of young rats and mice sometimes small birds. 

 This snake is a very agile climber and is often found in trees. 

 Captive specimens take immediate advantage of a branch or 

 small tree placed in their cage. 



THE DAVIS MOUNTAIN COLUBER 

 Coluber subocularis, (A. E. Brown) 



From a structural view alone, this species is very distinct. 

 Between the eye and the lip plates (upper labials) is a row of 

 several scales. The character at once renders the species unique 

 among the other North American Colubers, as the latter have the 

 upper labial plates in contact with the eye. 



Colouration. Ground-colour rich, orange-yellow on the 

 forward portion of the body; paler in the rear. On the back 

 is a series of square black blotches about two dozen in num- 

 ber which send forward and backward from their corners a 

 narrow black band or line. The consequent effect is a series of 

 H-shaped blotches, with wide stems. Toward the tail these 

 blotches become obscure to a degree, but continue as dark spots, 

 of which there are eight on the tail. On each side of the body 

 is a series of quite obscure blotches. 



The head is immaculate yellow the eye large and golden. 

 Beneath, the colour is immaculate yellowish-white. 



A half-grown specimen on exhibition in the reptile house 

 of the New York Zoological Park was very handsome. The 

 ground-colour was pinkish and the blotches sooty-black. 



Dimensions. The species probably attains a fair size five 

 or six feet. The conformation is much like that of the Black 

 Coluber (C. obsoletus). The few specimens examined by the 

 writer have been young under three feet in length. 



299 



