Leucistic Texas Rat Snake

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Leucistic Texas Rat Snake

Leucistic Texas Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri) is a subspecies of rat snake, a nonvenomous colubrid found in the United States, primarily within the state of Texas, but its range extends into Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. It intergrades with other subspecies of Elaphe obsoleta, so exact range boundaries are impossible to distinguish.
The Leucistic Texas rat snake has a voracious appetite, consuming large numbers of rodents and birds, and sometimes lizards and frogs which they subdue with constriction. They are generalists, found in a wide range of habitats from swamps, to forests to grasslands, even in urban areas.