Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I don't know if anyone here is from MO but I am just curious, when/where is the best place to look for them? They are supposedly indigenous (sp?) to my area (sw MO) but I have never found any. Also, I have only seen poor quality pictures thus far, would one be that hard to distinguish from a prairie kingsnake? Thanks.
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"

Here are comparison shots of a Great plains....

And a prairie king...

The GPR is a corn snake ssp, Pantherophis guttatus emoryi. Notice that the GPR has the typical corn snake markings and arrowhead shaped marking on its head. The head, neck, and body are typical rat snake.

The Prairie king has more of a round king snake body, thick neck, and a blunt king snake head. The ground color and saddles can be similar to the GPR, but the blotches are different, typically thinner. Once you see the difference in them you will know right off when you find one in the field.
Good luck and hope my info helps you!
Brian

>>I don't know if anyone here is from MO but I am just curious, when/where is the best place to look for them? They are supposedly indigenous (sp?) to my area (sw MO) but I have never found any. Also, I have only seen poor quality pictures thus far, would one be that hard to distinguish from a prairie kingsnake? Thanks.
>>-----
>>0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
>>1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
>>1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
>>.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
>>0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"

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RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath"(KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Great plains rat snake "Reign Fire" (TX locale)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

Great Post. I think I'll add just a little more.

I'm not from MO, but I know a little about guttatus. They are mainly a snake of plains and prairie, not so much forested areas. I've seen pix of MO GPR's, and they look somewhat like ones from e. TX, like "slowinskii", especially in the east. I'd look for them in low lying areas, more than in foothills and low mtns, grassland more than in forest. Also, the best times of the year probably would be spring, during breeding season, and summer, during hot weather when you might find them roadcrusin'

Hope these opinions help a little...TC

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Ratsnake Haven...researching ratsnakes since 1988

Ratsnake Haven Group...an information providing list site.

I think you might be interested to note some field finds in KY and MO. The corns here in KY are found in the foothills as well as woods, fields, and low lying areas. Just like I used to find the GPR's in MO. They adapt very well to their surrounding areas and I have found a black rat and a GPR under the same piece of cover over in MO. There is a spot that I go to here in KY that is a powercut out in the woods. No fields around for quite a distance, and yet we regularly find corns under A/C there.

Although one can find far more snakes along a fence row or a wood line that borders a field. Especially if there is the right kind of vegetation and cover, just dont count out power cuts and rock out-croppings with small cedar glades out in the woods!! LOL
Brian

>>Great Post. I think I'll add just a little more.
>>
>>I'm not from MO, but I know a little about guttatus. They are mainly a snake of plains and prairie, not so much forested areas. I've seen pix of MO GPR's, and they look somewhat like ones from e. TX, like "slowinskii", especially in the east. I'd look for them in low lying areas, more than in foothills and low mtns, grassland more than in forest. Also, the best times of the year probably would be spring, during breeding season, and summer, during hot weather when you might find them roadcrusin'
>>
>>Hope these opinions help a little...TC
>>
>>
>>-----
>>Ratsnake Haven...researching ratsnakes since 1988
>>
>>Ratsnake Haven Group...an information providing list site.

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RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath"(KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Great plains rat snake "Reign Fire" (TX locale)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

Here is a picture of one from Texas.