Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I need information about differences between these two species in apperance. Recently I got an adult pair of snakes sold to me as four-lined (E.quatuorlineata), but after looking at some photos I'm not so sure they are four-lined snakes. Tehy look more like yellow ratsnakes, but I need more specific info how to tell these species apart. I hope someone could help me

Karolina (Poland)

Hi

If you can post a picture of your snakes it would be no problem.
They are actualy very different the two species.
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Regards
Claus Ilsoe
Ratsnakes: persica,longissima,situla,quatuorlineata,
q. muenteri,scalaris,anomala,schrencki,flavolineata,frisei,
dione,vulpina gloydi

No Pictures are needed. You can tell them apart by scale count and a few other things.

Yellow Rat:

Scale Rows = 25-27
Ventrals = 221-228
Subcaudals = 67-103

E. quatuorlineate:

Scale Rows = 25
Ventrals = 195-234
Subcaudals = 63-90

The Four Lines snake is brown on the top of its head and has a strong band from the eye to the angle of the jaws. The saddles on young Four Lined rat Snakes lack most indications of lateral extensions that you see on young Yellow Rat snakes.

Good luck.

Thanks for information, I've counted only scale rows and there were 27. And no bands on the head. I asked because I had different opinions, thanks

Karolina