Class Reptilia
Order Squamata
Suborder Serpentes
Family Colubridae
Synonyms. Elaphe subocularis
The present range
of this snake lies mostly south of south-central New Mexico. It does include part of
New Mexico east of the Rio Grande as far north as Rincon. The Bishop's Cap sites
are within the present range, but the U-Bar Cave record indicates earlier occurrence
west of its present distribution. The occurrence at U-Bar Cave (F-227-1/F-227-2, top)
appears to be either terminal Wisconsin or Holocene, most probably the latter.
Fig. 1. Trans-Pecos Rat Snake. Photograph by Carl S. Lieb.
Fig. 2. Current distribution of Bogertophis subocularis. The heavy outline delimits the Chihuahuan Desert.
Sites.
Pleistocene/Holocene: Wylde Cave (Brattstrom 1964).
Mid Wisconsin/Holocene: Shelter Cave (Brattstrom 1964).
Mid Wisconsin: Pendejo Cave (Harris 2003); U-Bar Cave (UTEP).
Mid/Late Wisconsin: Sierra Diablo Cave (UTEP).
Late Wisconsin: Upper Sloth Cave (Logan and Black 1979).
Late Wisconsin/Holocene: Conkling Cavern (Brattstrom 1964); Fowlkes Cave (Parmley 1990); U-Bar Cave (UTEP).
Literature. Brattstrom 1964; Harris 2003; Logan and Black 1979; Parmley 1990.
Last Update: 16 Jan 2013