Pituophis catenifer

• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Family Colubridae

The family Colubridae, which includes the kingsnakes (Lampropeltis spp. ), is the largest, most widespread, and diverse family of snakes , with few physical characteristics universal among all species. The family contains 70 percent of the known species of snakes, with more than 1700 species worldwide (Pough et al. 1998). Although some colubrids are dangerously venomous , most are harmless to humans. [1]

Habitat

Ecology: This species occurs in a wide range of habitats , extending from lowlands to mountains: desert, prairie, shrubland, woodland, open coniferous forest , farmland, and marshes. Midwestern populations inhabit prairies; western and Mexican populations range from coastal grasslands and forests through deserts into montane forests (Sweet and Parker 1990). This snake is terrestrial , fossorial , and arboreal . It remains underground in cold weather and during the hot midday period in summer; it may occupy mammal burrows (Schroder 1950, Fitch 1958) or dig its own burrow, aided by the pointed snout and enlarged rostral scale. Carpenter (1982) estimated that burrowing Pituophis could move up to 3,400 cubic cm of soil in an hour. Eggs are deposited in burrows excavated by the female in loose soil, in spaces beneath large rocks or logs , or possibly in small mammal burrows.[2].

List of Habitats:

•     1     Forest   
  
•     1.4     Forest - Temperate   
  
•     1.5     Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry   
  
•     2     Savanna   
  
•     2.1     Savanna - Dry   
  
•     3     Shrubland   
  
•     3.4     Shrubland - Temperate   
  
•     3.5     Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry   
  
•     4     Grassland   
  
•     4.4     Grassland - Temperate   
  
•     5     Wetlands (inland)   
  
•     5.4     Wetlands (inland) - Bogs , Marshes, Swamps , Fens , Peatlands   
  
•     5.7     Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)   
  
•     5.8     Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)   
  
•     5.9     Wetlands (inland) - Freshwater Springs and Oases   
  
•     8     Desert   
  
•     8.1     Desert - Hot   
  
•     8.2     Desert - Temperate   
  
•     14     Artificial/Terrestrial   
  
•     14.2     Artificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland   
  
•     14.3     Artificial/Terrestrial - Plantations   
  
•     14.4     Artificial/Terrestrial - Rural Gardens   
  
•     15     Artificial/Aquatic & Marine   
  
•     15.7     Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels )   
  
•     15.8     Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land   
[more info]

Taxonomy

Synonyms

Coluber catenifer Boulenger 1894: 67 • Elaphis reticulatus DumÉril Bibron & DumÉril 1854: 246 • Pituophis catenifer coronalis Klauber 1946 • Pituophis catenifer fuliginatus Klauber 1946 • Pituophis catenifer rutilus Van Denburgh 1920 • Pituophis catenifer stejnegeri Van Denburgh 1920 • Pituophis catenifer — Baird & Girard 1853: 69 • Pituophis catenifer — Liner 1994 • Pituophis melanoleucus catenifer — Bol 2007 • Pituophis melanoleucus catenifer — Hirschkorn 1986 • Pituophis mexicanus DumÉril Bibron & DumÉril 1854: 256 • Pituophis wilkesii Baird & Girard 1853 • Pityophis heermanni Hallowell 1853

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Comment: bimaris: Holotype: SDSNH 32621; paratypes SDSNH coronalis: Holotype: SDSNH 20229; paratype SDSNH 11365. fuliginatus:Holotype: SDSNH 17449; paratype SDSNH 17463, 17464 (topotypes ) pumilis: Holotype: SDSNH 17238. Holotype: CAS 14203 [deserticola] Holotype: CAS 33869 [affinis ] Holotype: CAS 56353 [insulanus] Some authors recognize Pituophis melanoleucus annectens (e.g. http://elib.cs.berkeley.edu/photos/fauna/cas-herp.html). COLLINS (1997) doesn’t recognize the subspecies bimaris, coronalis, fulginatus, insulanus, vertebralis) but LINER (1994) does. Others consider some of them (like vertebralis) as valid species (e.g. GRISMER 1997). P. c. sayi is closely related to affinis and P. ruthveni (Rodríguez-Robles & De Jesús-Escobar, 2000).

Pituophis catenifer, P. melanoleucus, P. ruthveni, and P. vertebralis formerly were formerly regarded as conspecific (as P. melanoleucus), but were separated here (see Rodríguez-Robles and de Jesús-Escobar 2000).[2].

Similar Species

Members of the genus Pituophis

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 17 species and subspecies in this genus:

P. catenifer (Bullsnake) · P. catenifer affinis (Bullsnake) · P. catenifer annectens (Bullsnake) · P. catenifer catenifer (Bullsnake) · P. catenifer deserticola (Bullsnake) · P. catenifer pumilis (Bullsnake) · P. catenifer sayi (Bullsnake) · P. deppei (Mexican Bull Snake) · P. deppei deppei (Mexican Bull Snake) · P. lineaticollis (Middle American Gopher Snake) · P. lineaticollis lineaticollis (Middle American Gopher Snake) · P. melanoleucus (Gopher Snake) · P. melanoleucus cantenifer (Bull Snake) · P. melanoleucus lodingi (Black Pine Snake) · P. melanoleucus melanoleucus (Northern Pine Snake) · P. melanoleucus mugitus (Florida Pine Snake) · P. ruthveni (Louisiana Pinesnake)

More Info

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Further Reading

• A check list of North American amphibians and reptiles / by Leonhard Stejneger and Thomas Barbour. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1933. url p. 102, p. 104.
• A manual of land and fresh water vertebrate animals of the United States (exclusive of birds) by Henry Sherring Pratt. .. Philadelphia, P. Blakiston's Son & Co., inc.[c1935] url p. 209.
• Amphibian and reptile inventory on the Headwaters and Dillon Resources Areas in conjunction with Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge / Helena, Mont.: Montana Natural Heritage Program; c1998. url , , , , , , , , , , .
• Amphibian and reptile survey of the Bureau of Land Management Miles City District, Montana / submitted by Paul Hendricks; a report to Bureau of Land Management Miles City Field Office and Billings Field Office. Helena, Mont.: Montana Natural Heritage Program; c1999. url p. 34.
• Amphibian and reptile survey on the Bureau of Land Management Lewistown District: 1995-1998 / Helena, Mont.: Montana Natural Heritage Program; c1998. url , , , .
• Amphibian and reptile surveys on Montana refuges: 1998-1999 / Helena, Mont.: Montana Natural Heritage Program, c1999. url .
• Amphibian, reptile and northern bog lemming survey on the Rocky Mountain Front: 1996 / submitted by James D. Reichel; a report to Lewis and Clark National Forest, Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Region 4, [and] BLM-Great Falls Resource Area. Helena, Mont.: Montana Natural Heritage Program, c1997. url , p. 36, p. 37.
• Animal competitors; profit and loss from the wild four-footed tenants of the farm New YorkSturgis&Walton company, 1913. url .
• Animals competitors; profit and loss from the wild four-footed tenants of the farm, New York, Sturgis & Walton company, 1911. url p. 188.
• Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, -1965. url p. 104, p. 114, p. 126, p. 140, p. 309, p. 90, p. 94, p. 95.
• Assessment of the Red Rock River subbasin and wetlands of the Centennial Valley / Helena, Mont.: Montana Natural Heritage Program, c2009. url p. 14.
• Biology code of the Chemical-Biological Coordination Center... Washington, National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, 1960. url p. 50.
• Biosphere Reserves, Compilation 4, October 1986: programme on man and the biosphere (MAB) IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre url p. 464.
• Brigham Young University science bulletin. 3 1963 Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, [1955-1976] url , p. 1, fig. 8, page 14, fig. 10, page 18, p. 19, fig. 11, page 20, p. 22, p. 25, p. 26, p. 27, p. 45, p. 68, fig. 4, page 8.
• Bulletin - United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.];1877-1971. url , p. 106, p. 107, p. 132, p. 140, p. 146, p. 148, p. 166, p. 167, p. 170, p. 172, p. 173, p. 185, p. 189, p. 190, p. 192, p. 213, p. 217, p. 222, p. 223, p. 225, p. 234, p. 235, p. 239, p. 250, p. 256, p. 261, p. 275, p. 280, p. 326, p. 52.
• Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. 93 1943 Cambridge, Mass.: The Museum, 1863- url p. 141, p. 142, p. 218, p. 228, p. 235, p. 250, p. 254.
• Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. Los Angeles, Calif.: The Academy, 1902-1971. url p. 10, p. 100, p. 214, p. 37, p. 98.
• California fish and game. [San Francisco, etc.]: State of California, Resources Agency, Dept. of Fish and Game. url p. 187, p. 273, p. 336, p. 537.
• Catalogue of North American reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian institution: Part I.--Serpents / by S. F. Baird and C. Girard. Washington, Smithsonian Institution, 1853. url p. 72.
• Catalogue of colubrine snakes in the collection of the British Museum / by Dr. Albert Gu?nther. London: Printed by order of the Trustees, 1858. url p. 87.
• Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). .. London, Printed by order of the Trustees, 1893-96. url .
• Circle west wildlife baseline study: final report / Larry S. Thompson. Helena: Energy Division, Montana Dept. of Natural Resources and Conservation, [1978] url p. 42.
• Copeia. [New York, N.Y., etc.]: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. url , , p. 10, p. 74.
• Handbook of amphibians and reptiles of Kansas. 1950 Lawrence, 1950 url figs. 147-149, page 206, fig. 175, page 241, fig. 176, page 242.
• Illinois River Bluffs area assessment / Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Scientific Research and Analysis, [and the] State Geological Survey Division. Springfield, Ill.: Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources, 1998- url p. 106.
• Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge preliminary amphibian and reptile investigations: 1996 / Helena, Mont.: Montana Natural Heritage Program; c1997. url , , .
• List of the vertebrated animals now or lately living in the gardens of the Zoological Society of London. London, Printed for the Society, 1896. url p. 623, p. 712, p. 712.
• Miscellaneous publication - University of Kansas, Museum of Natural History. 1965 Lawrence: University of Kansas, 1946-1996. url p. 52.
• Montana wildlife / Montana Fish and Game Department official publication, Information-Education Division. Helena, Mont.: The Division, url p. 4, p. 7.
• Naturalist's guide to the Americas, prepared by the Committee on the Preservation of Natural Conditions of the Ecological Society of America, with assistance from numerous organizations and individuals, assembled and edited by chairman, Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins, 1926. url p. 171.
• Nimrod's wife / by Grace Gallatin Seton; pictures by Walter King Stone and Ernest Thompson Seton. New York: Doubleday, Page, 1907. url p. 24, p. 24.
• Nimrod's wife, by Grace Gallatin Seton. .. pictures by Walter King Stone and Ernest Thompson Seton. Lond.Constable & co., 1907. url p. 24.
• North American fauna. Washington: Fish and Wildlife Service; for sale by the Supt. of Docs., U. S. Govt. Print. Off. url p. 110, p. 125, p. 161, p. 206, p. 391, p. 8.
• Occasional papers of the California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco: California Academy of Sciences, url p. 145, p. 191, p. 195, p. 198, p. 234, p. 707, p. 715, p. 719.
• Occasional papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 1913- url , .
• Plant and animal resources and ecological condition of the Hanging Woman Basin in Big Horn County, Montana and Sheridan County, Wyoming / Helena, Mont.: Montana Natural Heritage Program, c2003. url .
• Point Lobos Reseerve; State Park, California. Interpretation of a primitive landscape. Sacramento, [State Print. Off., 1954] url p. 59.
• Population structure and biomass of some common snakes in Central North America / by Henry S. Fitch. 2000 Lawrence, Kan.: Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, [2000] url p. 3.
• Preliminary amphibian and reptile survey of the Ashland District, Custer National Forest: 1995: a report / Helena: Montana Natural Heritage Program, [1996] url , , , .
• Proceedings - California Academy of Sciences, 4th series. San Francisco, California Academy of Sciences. url p. 136, p. 138, p. 141, p. 149, p. 150, p. 158, p. 165, p. 166, p. 166, p. 167, p. 170, p. 199, p. 200, p. 218, p. 219, p. 226, p. 3, p. 403, p. 407, p. 427, p. 702, p. 729.
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• Readings in mammalogy / selected from the original literature and introduced with comments by J. Knox Jones, Jr., and Sydney Anderson. [Lawrence, Kans.]: Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, 1970. url p. 353.
• Report of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution and financial report of the Executive Committee of the Board of Regents for the year ending June 30. .. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1933-1965. url p. 104, p. 114, p. 126, p. 89, p. 89, p. 90.
• Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Made under the direction of the secretary of war, in 1853-[6]. .. Washington, A.O.P. Nicholson, Printer [etc.]1855-60. url p. 300.
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• Rock River area assessment / Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Scientific Research and Analysis, Natural History Survey Division, in conjunction with State Geological Survey Division. Springfield, IL: Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources, 1996- url p. 135, p. 62, p. 64.
• Selected readings in mammalogy: selected from the original literature and introduced with comments / by J. Knox Jones, Jr., Sydney Anderson, and Robert S. Hoffmann. Lawrence, Kan.: Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, 1976. url p. 373.
• Smithsonian miscellaneous collections. 2 1862 Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1862-1968. url p. 72.
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Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed February 1, 2012.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 27, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 10 providers.
• Hammerson, G.A. 2007. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 19, 2008.
• Hammerson, G.A. 2007. Pituophis catenifer. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloadedon 04February2012.
• IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. . Downloaded on January 28, 2012.
• Ruggiero M., Gordon D., Bailly N., Kirk P., Nicolson D. (2011). The Catalogue of Life Taxonomic Classification, Edition 2, Part A. In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist (Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D., eds). DVD; Species 2000: Reading, UK.
• TIGR Reptile Database . Release date: October 2, 2007
• Uetz, Peter. The Reptile Database

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 27, 2008:

• Arizona State University, International Institute for Species Exploration: Arizona State University Amphibian and Reptile Collection
• California Academy of Sciences: CAS Herpetology Collection Catalog
• Carnegie Museums: Amphibians and Reptiles
• Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates: Amphibians and Reptiles Collection
• Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History: Vertebrate specimens
• Marine Science Institute, UCSB: Paleobiology Database
• Museum of Southwestern Biology, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles: Museum of Southwestern Biology, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles database
• Museum of Vertebrate Zoology: Terrestrial vertebrate specimens
• San Diego Natural History Museum: Herps specimens
• Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History: Santa Barbara Musem of Natural History
• Sternberg Museum of Natural History: Herp Collection
• University of Alberta: University of Alberta Herpetology Collection
• University of Colorado Museum: Zoological specimens
• Yale University Peabody Museum: Peabody Herp Collection DiGIR provider Service

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2543766
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Rep-5725
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 209400
• IUCN ID: 233415
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: ARADB26020
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 177859

Footnotes

1. Painter, Charles W., Chuck L. Hayes, and James N. Stuart "Recovery and Conservation of the Gray-Banded Kingsnake. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. May 1, 2002. [back]
2. Hammerson, G.A. 2007. Pituophis catenifer. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 04 February 2012. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.