Eastern foxsnake, Foxsnake, Fox snake
The Eastern fox snake (Pantherophis vulpinus) is a species of rat snake native to North America. It is a non-venomous colubrid. The scientific name of this species ‘vulpinus’ means ‘fox-like’. Fox snakes earned their name because the musk they give off when threatened smells similar to a fox.
Dorsally, Eastern fox snakes are usually light golden brown with dark brown spots. They also have a yellow checkerboard pattern on the belly.
Eastern fox snakes are found in the upper midwestern United States east of the Mississippi River. They prefer to live in open woodlands, prairies, sandy oak scrubs, farmlands, pastures, stream valleys, and marshlands.
Eastern fox snakes are strong and agile creatures. They are excellent climbers but are more often found on the ground. They are diurnal but may hunt at night during the hot summer months. Like all snakes, fox snakes are cold-blooded and cannot adjust their own body temperature; so these snakes often hide in burrows or under logs or rocks to stay safe from extremely hot or cold weather. They usually spend time singly but in winter, will hibernate communally underground, where they can avoid freezing temperatures. Despite being docile and harmless, these snakes use several defensive behaviors against predators. They may shake their tails in dry leaves, sounding like rattlesnakes. They can also give off a stinky musk from glands near their tail, which makes them less appetizing to other animals. As a last resort, these snakes may hiss loudly and strike at the threat.
Eastern fox snakes are strict carnivores and their primary diet consists of mice and other small rodents. They will also take any prey small enough to swallow whole, including young rabbits, frogs, fledgling birds, and eggs. As constrictors, they subdue their prey by squeezing it between their coils.
Eastern fox snakes mate in April and May. Males wrestle with one another for the right to mate with females. In June, July, or August, the female will bury a clutch of 7 to 27 eggs under a log or in debris on the forest floor. The eggs hatch after an approximately 60-day incubation period. The snakelets are usually much lighter in color than adults at birth; they are well-developed and are able to take care of themselves without parental care.
Fox snakes play an important role in the ecosystem they live. These snakes are often a welcome sight around farmlands, where they consume a large number of rodents that can otherwise be harmful to crops, or transmit parasites to captive animal stocks.
According to IUCN Red List, the Eastern fox snake is locally common throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
