Bogertophis subocularis

Bogertophis subocularis (*)

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Subordo: Serpentes
Infraordo: Caenophidia
Superfamilia: Colubroidea

Familia: Colubridae
Subfamilia: Colubrinae
Genus: Bogertophis
Species: Bogertophis subocularis
Subspecies: B. s. amplinotus – B. s. subocularis
Name

Bogertophis subocularis (Brown, 1901)

Type locality: USA: Texas, Jeff Davis County, Davis Mountains, 50 miles s-w from Pecos.
Synonyms

Coluber subocularis Arthur Erwin Brown, 1901
Elaphe subocularis — Reynolds & Scott, 1977
Elaphe subocularis — Worthington, 1981
Elaphe subocularis — Niederhauser, 1984
Elaphe subocularis — Stebbins, 1985: 186
Bogertophis subocularis — Dowling & Price, 1988
Bogertophis subocularis — Conant & Collins, 1991: 200
Bogertophis subocularis — Liner, 1994
Bogertophis subocularis — Crother, 2000: 57

References

Brown, A.E., 1901. A review of the Genera and Species of American Snakes, North of Mexico [title not verified]. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 53: 492.
Dowling, H. G. and R. M. Price, 1988. A proposed new genus for Elaphe subocularis and Elaphe rosaliae. The Snake, 20: 52–63.
Crother, B. I., 2000. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Herpetogical Circular, No. 29: 1–82.
Bogertophis subocularis at the New Reptile Database. Accessed on 20 August 2008.

Vernacular names
English: Trans-Pecos Rat Snake

Bogertophis subocularis, commonly known as the Trans-Pecos rat snake[2][3] or the Davis Mountain rat snake,[4][5] is a species of medium to large, nonvenomous rat snake in the family Colubridae. Bogertophis subocularis is endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert.

Geographic range

The Trans-Pecos rat snake is found in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, and Nuevo León, and its range extends northward into Texas and New Mexico in the United States.[1][4]
Description

B. subocularis has a row of small scales (suboculars) between the lower border of the eye and the upper labials.[5] Coloration is yellow to tan dorsally with a series of black, or dark brown, H-shaped markings.[2] The eye is large and prominent, light-colored with a contrasting round black pupil. The tongue is pink. The dorsal scales are in 31-35 rows at midbody. The ventrals number 260-277; the subcaudals number 69-79.[3]

Adults are usually 36-54 inches (90–137 cm) in total length (including tail). The record total length is 66 inches (168 cm).[6]
Habitat

The Trans-Pecos rat snake's habitat consists of desert flats and brushy slopes, and rocky outcrops where it dens.
Diet

B. subocularis feeds on small vertebrates.
Behavior

A nocturnal species, B. subocularis is uncommon and rarely seen in the wild, save on warm summer nights during the breeding season. Nicknamed "suboc" by enthusiasts, it is nonaggressive when approached, even passive, and is easily raised in captivity.
Sexual dimorphism

B. subocularis exhibits sexual dimorphism. Females are larger than males as adults. Adult males reach between 3.5 and 4.5 feet (1.1-1.4 m) in total length (including tail); whereas females grow up to 5.5 feet (1.7 m).[2][3]
Reproduction

The breeding season for B. subocularis runs through May and June, while egg-laying begins in July and ends by September. At nearly three months, their incubation period is lengthy for a snake, at the end of which a clutch of anywhere from three to 11 snakes, each 28–33 cm (11–13 in) in total length, hatch. As they are hatched during winter, the hatchlings may remain hidden underground for several months before venturing outside.[citation needed]
References

Species Bogertophis subocularis at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
Conant R (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. + Plates 1-48. ISBN 0-395-19979-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Elaphe subocularis, p. 197 + Plate 32 + Map 151).
Smith, Hobart M.; Brodie, Edmund D. Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-47009-1 (hardcover), ISBN 0-307-13666-3 (paperback). (Elaphe subocularis, pp. 184-185).
Wright, Albert Hazen; Wright, Anna Allen (1957). Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Ithaca and London: Comstock. 1,105 pp. (in two volumes). (Elaphe subocularis, pp. 255-259, Figure 79 + Map 23 on p. 223).
Schmidt KP, Davis DD (1941). Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 365 pp. (Elaphe subocularis, pp. 152-153, Figure 41).

Powell, Robert; Conant, Roger; Collins, Joseph T. (2016). Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xsiv + 494 pp. ISBN 978-0-544-12997-9. (Bogertophis subocularis, p. 384 + Plate 35).