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Leopard Rat Snake Common Name: Leopard Rat Snake Scientific Name: Elaphe situla Information Sheet - Leopard Rat SnakeIntroduction:Leopard Rat snakes, which belong to the colubridae family, have prints similar to those of the leopard; this is where the common name originates. These snakes are non-venomous but are extremely difficult to train when in captivity due to their aggressiveness.Description:Adult male Leopard rat snakes have an average length of eighty centimeters though there are some, which grow to a length of one hundred centimeters. The female Leopard Rat Snakes are normally larger than the male snakes; the female snakes have an average length of one hundred and twenty centimeters.They have slender heads and bodily structures; their eyes are medium sized and have round pupils and an orange iris. Their scales have brown and orange stains and this is what makes people refer to it as the ‘leopard’ rat snake. They also have black spots on top of the brown and orange scales; some of them have scattered black spots that make them look very much like leopards.  Behavior:The Leopard Rat Snakes like to wrap themselves around trees. Thus, they are normally mistaken for leopards from a distance. This is similar characteristic that it shares with the leopard- they both rest on trees during the day.The Leopard Rat Snake is slightly aggressive and it rarely bites its attackers. Many people confuse them with vipers, which have a very different livery from the Leopard Rat Snake. Habitat:These snakes are common in Calabria, Sicily, Puglia, and Basilicata. One can also find them in countries such as Turkey, Dalmatia, Greek Islands, Malta and Bulgaria.Feeding:The Leopard Rat Snake feed on lizards, small mice, arvicola and rats.Reproduction:The female snakes lay from two to five eggs after mating in the month of May or June, which then hatch between sixty and seventy days after they are laid. |
