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Senticolis triaspis

(Cope, 1866)

Green Ratsnake

G5Secure Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100076
Element CodeARADB44010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyColubridae
GenusSenticolis
Synonyms
Elaphe triaspis(Cope)
Other Common Names
Green Rat Snake (EN)
Concept Reference
Price, R. M. 1991. Senticolis, S. triaspis. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles 525.1-525.4.
Taxonomic Comments
Senticolis is more closely related to the New World tribe Lampropeltini than it is to the Old World genus Elaphe (Keogh 1996, Utiger et al. 2002, Burbrink and Lawson 2007, and Pyron and Burbrink 2009) (Crother 2017).
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-12-14
Change Date1996-10-30
Edition Date2005-12-14
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 300
Range Extent Comments
The range extends from southeastern Arizona (Baboquivari, Pajarito, Santa Rita, Empire, Whetstone, and Chiricahua mountains) and southwestern New Mexico (Peloncillo and Guadalupe mountains; possibly also the Animas and Mule mountains) south through northwestern, northeastern, and southern Mexico to Costa Rica, from near sea level to over 2,200 meters (Price 1991).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by many occurrences or subpopulations. Price (1991) mapped roughly 50 collection sites.
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitats include woodlands and chaparral of rocky mountain canyons near streams in the United States, montane mesophytic forests along the slopes of the Mexican highlands and in Central America, and xeric forest in western and southern Mexico (Price 1991, Stebbins 2003). Sometimes this snake can be found in agricultural areas or in buildings in towns. It is terrestrial and arboreal and uses rock crevices or underground burrows as shelter.

Reproduction

Little information available. Apparently lays 5 or more eggs in late summer or early fall (Behler and King 1979).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparral
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS2Yes
New MexicoS1Yes
Roadless Areas (4)
Arizona (3)
AreaForestAcres
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
HellsgateTonto National Forest6,171
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
New Mexico (1)
AreaForestAcres
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
References (14)
  1. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  2. Burbrink, F. T., and R. Lawson. 2007. How and when did Old World rat snakes disperse into the New World? Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 43:173-189.
  3. Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
  4. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
  5. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
  6. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  7. Dowling, H. G., and I. Fries. 1987. A taxonomic study of the ratsnakes. VIII. A proposed new genus for ELAPHE TRIASPIS (Cope). Herpetologica 43:200-207.
  8. Keogh, J. S. 1996. Evolution of the colubrid snake tribe Lampropeltini: a morphological perspective. Herpetologica 52(3):406-416.
  9. Lawson, R., and H. C. Dessauer. 1981. Electrophoretic evaluation of the colubrid genus ELAPHE Fitzinger. Isozyme Bull. 14:83.
  10. Price, R. M. 1991. <i>Senticolis</i>, <i>S. triaspis</i>. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles 525.1-525.4.
  11. Pyron, R. A., and F. T. Burbrink. 2009. Neogene diversification and taxonomic stability in the snake tribe Lampropeltini (Serpentes: Colubridae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 52:524-529.
  12. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  13. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  14. Utiger, U., N. Helfenberger, B. SchC. Schmidt, M. Ruf, and V. Ziswiler. 2002. Molecular systematics and phylogeny of Old and New World ratsnakes, <i>Elaphe</i> auct., and related genera (Reptilia, Squamata, Colubridae). Russian Journal of Herpetology 9(2):105-124.