Rat Snake
Why are their so many different kinds?
Rat snake defferences and simalarities
All rat snakes have similar diets, are excellent climbers, and kill their prey by constriction. They all have the same reaction when startled, they remain motionless and will avoid confrontation whenever possible. Some will bite if threatened, but they are non-venomous. However, rat snakes come in a wide variety of colors, from yellow striped to black to orange to greenish. This is because rat snakes are found all over the Eastern and Midwestern states, and are subjected to all types of weather and terrain. Rat snakes are common in urban areas, but they can also be found in wooded areas, mountains or coastal regions. As a result, rat snakes have had to adapt to their local environments in an effort to avoid detection and hunt more effectively.
genetic variations, reproduction, compitition, survival of the fittest
Some rat snakes have different colors based on their different habitats. This is a genetic variation to help them blend in with their surroundings to avoid being spotted by predators. So lets say theirs a forest and the dominant trait for snakes their is black and the recessive is green and that forest ends up being a new home for a bird that LOVES rat snake. In a forest green is better suited for blending in to not be seen. Then it reproduces and the population then increases for the green snake making it the dominant species. This is also an example of survival of the fittest because the green rat snakes survived and the black ones didn't.
Rat snake camouflaged for forest terrain.
Rat snake camouflaged for desert like terrain.
Rat snake camouflaged for rocky terrain.
Black Rat Snake - HD Mini-documentary
By:
Hunter Sprague & Kyle Harte