Reptile & Amphibian Forums

All of the ones I've caught locally are the same basic, darker coloration, yet I've seen a few of them in the past few years for sale and in pics that are lighter, with orangish coloration. They remind me a lot of the everglades rat snakes, and I even thought they were just mislabeled by the sellers, yet some are from more northern states than me (I live in florida).

Is there any chance that these northern, orange yellow ratsnakes are yet another subspecies of the common ratsnake, that isn't the same as the everglades or yellow ratsnakes? Or is it possible that these are the same subspecies as the everglades ratsnakes, just way out of its documented geographic location?

I've literally caught hundreds of yellow ratsnakes in this area and have never seen the orange ones here. They're all about the same as the 5ft egg-eater one I previously pictured.

>>All of the ones I've caught locally are the same basic, darker coloration, yet I've seen a few of them in the past few years for sale and in pics that are lighter, with orangish coloration. They remind me a lot of the everglades rat snakes, and I even thought they were just mislabeled by the sellers, yet some are from more northern states than me (I live in florida).
>>
>> Is there any chance that these northern, orange yellow ratsnakes are yet another subspecies of the common ratsnake, that isn't the same as the everglades or yellow ratsnakes? Or is it possible that these are the same subspecies as the everglades ratsnakes, just way out of its documented geographic location?
>>
>> I've literally caught hundreds of yellow ratsnakes in this area and have never seen the orange ones here. They're all about the same as the 5ft egg-eater one I previously pictured.
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Terry Parks

are a different population of the same subspecies that you collect locally. They exist in a different environment,habitat, elevation, etc. and their phenotype is variable to these changes. I would look at the tongue. The original ratsnakes that we call yellow ratsnakes (quadrivittata) that were the specimens that based the subspecies were a greenish color. They weren't yellow at all. Quadrivittata means four lines, not yellow. The original yellow ratsnakes are greenish ratsnakes with four lines. The quadrivittata that exist in Florida are mainly a yellow color Good luck.

Terry Parks

>>All of the ones I've caught locally are the same basic, darker coloration, yet I've seen a few of them in the past few years for sale and in pics that are lighter, with orangish coloration. They remind me a lot of the everglades rat snakes, and I even thought they were just mislabeled by the sellers, yet some are from more northern states than me (I live in florida).
>>
>> Is there any chance that these northern, orange yellow ratsnakes are yet another subspecies of the common ratsnake, that isn't the same as the everglades or yellow ratsnakes? Or is it possible that these are the same subspecies as the everglades ratsnakes, just way out of its documented geographic location?
>>
>> I've literally caught hundreds of yellow ratsnakes in this area and have never seen the orange ones here. They're all about the same as the 5ft egg-eater one I previously pictured.

N/P

I live in Tampa, FL. and have found yellows here and throughout the state that run the gamut from dark yellow/brown to yellow/green to yellow/orange. Right here in Hillsborough CO. there are as many "phases" as you could think of. Very bright yellows and hypos too. Of course down around Okechobee there are some with more orange and rarely the everglades rat you speak of. I think you may find the yellow rat as variable in "color" as any other rat snake throughout its range. Some are beauties and some are just..well... not. Here's a fairly typical snake from north Tampa.
:Mark

Do you have a photo or no someone who have a photo of a hypo yellow rat ?
Sweet shot of that Y/R

sorry.... know some one !