Squamata   suborder Serpentes     Elaphe emoryi -- Great Plains ratsnake

Search for another IL amphibian or reptile Search for IL amphibians & reptiles by county Go to the INHS Amphibian & Reptile Collection homepage Search the INHS collections data for amphibians & reptiles Search the INHS Type Specimen Data for amphibians & reptiles	Purple shade indicates vouchered specimens. Light blue (cyan) shade indicates photographic records. Yellow shade indicates verified sighting. Slanted hatch indicates pre-1980 records only NOTE: Not all specimens upon which these maps are based have been verified.
	Key Characters: Spear-shaped pattern on top of head; body scales keeled; anal plate divided. Similar Species: Prairie kingsnake, milk snake, fox snake, rat snake. Description: Moderately large (up to 120 cm TL), blotched snake with gray or light brown back sporting 25 to 50 black-bordered, nearly square, dark brown or red-brown blotches. Tail with 8-20 dark spots or bands. Belly checkered black and white. Habitat: Rocky, wooded hillsides, hill prairies, bluffs, and adjacent brushy fields. Natural History: This nocturnal snake mates in April or May and lays 3-30 eggs a few weeks later. The young, 30-35 cm TL, hatch in August. Diet includes mammals, birds, and bird eggs. Medium-sized mammals and raptors are the main predators. Status: Threatened in Illinois. Found only along the Mississippi River bluffs from Jersey to Randolph counties, where its main threat is highway traffic (see distribution map, above).
	©Illinois Natural History Survey Send Questions and Comments to:cbdadmin@inhs.uiuc.edu. Last updated Monday, 29-Nov-2004 10:29:01 CST