PhyloBot v0.7 Information and Patch Notes [Bot Info]

Scarlet Snakes Cemophora coccinea and Cemophora lineri are small (36-51 cm, record 82.8 cm), harmless colubrid snakes native to the southeastern United States. They are shy, fossorial snakes frequently found under logs, rocks, and debris in sandy, forested habitats. Scarlet Snakes feed on reptile eggs, lizards, other snakes, and small mammals.

Scarlet Snakes are white, gray, or yellow, with black bordered, red blotches that extend nearly to the belly, sometimes appearing banded from above. Often confused with harmless Scarlet Kingsnakes Lampropeltis elapsoides or venomous Coral Snakes Micrurus sp., they can be distinguished from these snakes by the presence of blotches that do not extend onto the belly that form white "saddles". Scarlet Kingsnakes and Eastern Coral Snakes have bands that extend all the way around the body. Use the !keels command for more information about snake color patterns and scale architecture.

Scarlet Snakes are currently recognized as distinct from Texas Scarlet Snakes Cemophora lineri and can be differentiated based on range, but in terms of morphology, "Cemophora lineri differs from C. coccinea in having a greater average number of ventral scales (C. lineri: 178– 195 [X = 186.1]; C. coccinea: 150–185 [X = 167.5]) and black dorsal bands that extend to the third, fourth, or fifth dorsal scale row (vs. extending laterally to dorsal scale row one or two in C. coccinea)".

Range Map | Recent Phylogeography

This short account was prepared by u/shrike1978 and edited by u/Phylogenizer.

Snakes and other creatures often fall victim to the aquatic pitfall traps that are pools, hot tubs and human constructed ponds. Several inexpensive products can reduce the amount of native wildlife killed. Among the most popular are the Frog Log and the Critter Skimmer.

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

What do you think of the Cemophora map? I wish the Weinell paper would have made one based on their results that I could have just copied over and credited. I got this one from Wikimedia and updated it, added colors.

Rough Earthsnakes Haldea striatula are small (record 39.3 cm) natricine snakes found in eastern North America that feed on primarily earthworms.

Rough earthsnakes are considered harmless to people and pets and rarely bite in self defense. They have keeled scales, a cone-shaped head and pointed snout. The internasal scales that are generally paired in other snakes are fused.

Haldea striatula is live bearing, having as many as 7 small (7.5-12.5 cm) young in the late summer. Neonates somewhat resemble ringneck snakes with a light colored neck collar, but lose this trait as they become adults.

Range map.

This short account was prepared by u/unknown_name and edited by u/Phylogenizer.

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

Thanks, a lot of those natureserve maps got moved, I have to put in some work to make new maps.

Thanks - it fixed itself now though right? Something weird with reddit.

Rough Earthsnakes Haldea striatula are small (record 39.3 cm) natricine snakes found in eastern North America that feed on primarily earthworms.

Rough earthsnakes are considered harmless to people and pets and rarely bite in self defense. They have keeled scales, a cone-shaped head and pointed snout. The internasal scales that are generally paired in other snakes are fused.

Haldea striatula is live bearing, having as many as 7 small (7.5-12.5 cm) young in the late summer. Neonates somewhat resemble ringneck snakes with a light colored neck collar, but lose this trait as they become adults.

Range map.

This short account was prepared by u/unknown_name and edited by u/Phylogenizer.

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

Here is a list of common myths and misconceptions about snakes. The below statements are false:

Non-venomous snakes shake their tails to mimic rattlesnakes

Baby venomous snakes are more dangerous than adults

Snakes Chase People

Rattlesnakes are losing their rattle because of {insert reason}

The only good snake is a dead snake

Snakes aren't known for 'aggression' or 'territoriality' but have developed impressive defensive anti-predator displays. Striking, coiling, hissing and popping are all defensive behaviors. The first line of defense in snakes is typically to hold still and rely on camouflage, or flee. Some species will move past people to get away - sometimes interpreted as 'chasing'. Cottonmouth snakes Agkistrodon piscivorus and A. conanti are among some species that may aggressively flee, but if you leave a safe distance between yourself, any snake and the snake's intended destination, there is no reason to expect to experience it.

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

Black Ratsnake is a common name for a color pattern shared by three different species of Pantherophis ratsnake across the northern portion of their range.

The black ratsnake species complex, formerly Elaphe obsoleta, underwent revision in 2001-2002 from multiple authors and received two main changes. First, the complex was delimited in Burbrink 2001 based on what were then modern molecular methods, where three distinct lineages were uncovered that did not reflect previous subspecies designations. Each of the three geographically partitioned taxa were elevated to full species status, and subspecies were discarded. The polytypic color patterns in these species are most likely under strong selection by the local environment and don't reflect evolutionary history. Where species intersect and habitat converges, color pattern also converges, leaving these species nearly morphologically indistinguishable to the naked eye. Second, using Elaphe as a genus name wasn't the best way to reflect phylogenetic history, so the genus Pantherophis was adopted for new world ratsnakes in Utiger 2002. Remember, species names are hypotheses that are tested and revised. While the analyses published in 2001 are strong and results are geographically similar in other taxa, these species are currently being investigated using modern molecular methods and the taxonomy may be updated in the future.

The three currently accepted species in this complex are Western Ratsnake Pantherophis obsoletus, Central Ratsnake Pantherophis spiloides and Eastern Ratsnake Pantherophis alleghaniensis. Range Map

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

Eastern kingsnakes Lampropeltis getula are large (90-122 cm record 208.3 cm) non-venomous colubrid snakes with smooth scales, part of a group of kingsnakes called the getula species complex. Eastern Kingsnakes are found east of the Appalachian Mountains. They kill by constriction and will eat mainly rodents, lizards, and other snakes, including venomous snakes. Kingsnakes are immune to the venom of the species on which they prey. Individuals are variable and are best distinguished from other similar kingsnakes by geographic range.

Range map | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography: Link 1 Link 2

Two additional species, subsets of the Eastern Kingsnake, were recently identified but the analysis did not include hypothesis testing or robust molecular methods. Recent work by the same authors is dismissed for these same reasons so SEB does not yet recognize these as taxa.

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

Please leave wild animals in the wild. This includes not purchasing common species collected from the wild and sold cheaply in pet stores, like Thamnophis Ribbon and Gartersnakes and Opheodrys Greensnakes. Brownsnakes Storeria found around the home do okay in urban environments and don't need 'rescue'; the species typically fails to thrive in captivity and should be left in the wild. Reptiles are kept as pets or specimens by many people but captive bred animals have much better chances of survival, as they are free from parasite loads, didn't endure the stress of collection and shipment, and tend to be species that do better in captivity. Taking an animal out of the wild is not ecologically different than killing it, and most states protect non-game native species - meaning collecting it probably broke the law.

If you insist on keeping a wild pet, it is your duty to plan and provide the correct veterinary care, which often is two rounds of a pair of the 'deworming' medications Panacur and Flagyl and injections of supportive antibiotics. This will cost more than enough to offset the cheap price tag on the wild caught animal at the pet store or reptile show and increases chances of survival past about 8 months, but does not offset removing the animal from the wild.

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

Plain-bellied Watersnakes Nerodia erythrogaster are medium to large (record 163.6 cm) natricine snakes with keeled scales often found in and around water. They are commonly encountered fish and amphibian eating snakes across much of eastern North America and extend into Northern Mexico.

Nerodia watersnakes may puff up or flatten out defensively and bite. They secrete a foul smelling substance from the cloaca called musk and can deliver a weak anticoagulant venom used in prey handling from the back of the mouth, but are not considered medically significant to humans - bites just need soap and water.

Found throughout eastern North America, it is sometimes confused with the Common Watersnake Nerodia sipedon or the Banded Watersnake N. fasciata. The best character to diagnose N. erythrogaster is its namesake plain belly that varies across the range from yellow to orange. Adult Plain-bellied Watersnakes tend to lose or greatly reduce their banding - adults are often completely two-toned. Banded Watersnakes have even, connecting bands across the top of the snake all the way down the body. N. erythrogaster does not. In Common Watersnakes N. sipedon, bands typically break up or become mismatched after the first third of the body as in N. erythrogaster, but has a patterned belly.

Range Map | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography

This genus is in need of revision using modern molecular methods, but this particular species has been investigated using basic molecular methods. The authors found that, just like many other snakes species, subspecies based on clinal color patterns didn't correspond to evolutionary history. Subspecies should thus not be recognized.

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

Lot of those Natureserve ones aren't. Think Phylo's working on new ones

Eastern Milksnakes Lampropeltis triangulum are medium-sized (record 132.1 cm) non-venomous colubrid snakes with smooth scales, part of a group of seven species of milk and kingsnakes called the triangulum species complex. Eastern Milksnakes are found in the north and eastern parts of North America. They kill by overpowering their prey and will eat mainly rodents, but are generalists and consume lizards, birds, eggs and invertebrates. Eastern Milksnakes are variable in color - geographic range helps greatly in identification and to distinguish them from other species.

Range map | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography: Link 1 Link 2

This recent multi-locus work is well done, published in a high-tier journal and was well-received by those who understand the coalescent. It's supported by morphological work (Link 2) and has been adopted by the major North American herp societies.

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

Here is a list of common myths and misconceptions about snakes. The below statements are false:

Non-venomous snakes shake their tails to mimic rattlesnakes

Baby venomous snakes are more dangerous than adults

Snakes Chase People

Rattlesnakes are losing their rattle because of {insert reason}

The only good snake is a dead snake

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

The traditional color-based rhyme for coralsnakes isn't recommended as an identification trick as it isn't foolproof and only applies to snakes that live in parts of North America. See this summary compiled by our own u/RayInLA for more. It's far more advantageous to familiarize yourself with venomous snakes in your area through photos and field guides or by following subreddits like r/whatsthissnake than it is to try to apply any generic trick.

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

The term used for wild venomous snakes is 'venomous'. Across species, strength of venom is a spectrum, and delivery method is also quite variable. The term 'hot' is pet trade slang and isn't used in biology.

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

California kingsnakes Lampropeltis californiae are large (76-122 cm record 200 cm) non-venomous colubrid snakes with smooth scales, part of a group of kingsnakes called the getula species complex. California Kingsnakes range from west of the continental divide to the Pacific ocean, overlapping with the Desert Kingsnake Lampropeltis splendida at the Cochise Filter Barrier. They kill by constriction and will eat mainly rodents, lizards, and other snakes, including venomous snakes. Kingsnakes are immune to the venom of the species on which they prey. Individuals are variable and are best distinguished from other similar kingsnakes by geographic range.

A wide variety of color patterns make California Kingsnakes very popular in the pet trade.

Range map | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography: Link 1 Link 2 Link 3

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

Black Ratsnake is a common name for a color pattern shared by three different species of Pantherophis ratsnake across the northern portion of their range.

The black ratsnake species complex, formerly Elaphe obsoleta, underwent revision in 2001-2002 from multiple authors and received two main changes. First, the complex was delimited in Burbrink 2001 based on what were then modern molecular methods, where three distinct lineages were uncovered that did not reflect previous subspecies designations. Each of the three geographically partitioned taxa were elevated to full species status, and subspecies were discarded. The polytypic color patterns in these species are most likely under strong selection by the local environment and don't reflect evolutionary history. Where species intersect and habitat converges, color pattern also converges, leaving these species nearly morphologically indistinguishable to the naked eye. Second, using Elaphe as a genus name wasn't the best way to reflect phylogenetic history, so the genus Pantherophis was adopted for new world ratsnakes in Utiger 2002. Remember, species names are hypotheses that are tested and revised. While the analyses published in 2001 are strong and results are geographically similar in other taxa, these species are currently being investigated using modern molecular methods and the taxonomy may be updated in the future.

The three currently accepted species in this complex are Western Ratsnake Pantherophis obsoletus, Central Ratsnake Pantherophis spiloides and Eastern Ratsnake Pantherophis alleghaniensis. Range Map

I am a bot created for r/whatsthissnake, r/snakes and r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.