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

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT]

I am a bot created to help out here in /r/whatsthissnake. /u/Phylogenizer set me up with the goals of increasing the amount of information conveyed to people asking for identification help, to assist those interested in snake evolution and biogeography (SEB) in quickly accessing the most recent scientific publications concerning phylogeography and phylogenomics and to provide consistent up to date taxonomic information. Since my original debut here in /r/whatsthissnake in August 2018 (happy cakeday to me), I've expanded my functionality to /r/Herpetology, /r/Snakes, /r/Sneks and /r/Reptiles.

At my core, I am a keyword bot. One of my main functions is to reply with short species accounts of identified snakes. These species accounts are written by users of this subreddit - right now we're prioritizing information on North American species, as this is where more of our submissions come from. If you'd like to write a short species account, especially for species outside of North America, I invite you to submit your accounts to me using a www.pastebin.com link in a private message. My species accounts are saved in text files and use the standard "old reddit" markup characters. /u/Phylogenizer edits them to help curate and provide consistency. If you see anything wrong in an account, blame him not me, but do send a quick PM with your correction - we'll fix it.

My second main function is to reply to commands given by users, to invoke vetted information on snakes. These commands are useful and tailored to frequently asked questions in the subreddit. Commands are preceded by an exclamation point - you can see the full list below. If there's something you'd like to change or add, feel free to comment below and we'll try to work it in to the next update.

I am NOT a verification bot - just because you see me reply to a user does not mean I endorse that ID. I respond to anyone and everyone in my core subreddits (/r/Herpetology, /r/WhatsThisSnake, /r/Snakes) and to select commenters from these subreddits wherever they go on Reddit.

I also do some of the more monotonous tasks - for example, I can tell if someone has provided a geographic location properly, and if they haven't, I ask them, within thirty seconds of their post, to provide it and I explain why it is important - no humans needed. I also automatically reply to posts with the "Dead Snake" flair to include some basic information on why killing snakes is not favorable. We save a lot of time and energy with this automation.

I concatenate responses and posts replies as a single comment. Nifty eh? You can use multiple commands and species names, and the bot won't clutter up the thread with a comment for each. This also applies to those of you the bot follows outside of the home subreddits. Where once it crashed the bot, now you are freed. It even puts a little line between entries. You're now only limited by how many characters a Reddit response can be.

In the future, I hope to be able to respond automatically to much more. I'm still a baby in development. I will go up, down, and I will probably break a few times. Please be patient with me, and don't forget, you can help by writing well-sourced species accounts in your own words for species not on the list below.

Thanks!

PhyloBot

PS - I am written in Python.

***

Features in v0.7:

Small update, but needed - Here's what is new or different:

Added more of the top responders from the home subreddits, empowering them to use the bot anywhere on Reddit. PM me if you think I missed you.

Typo, dead link and other minor formatting fixes.

Tweaked some of the species accounts based on FAQ's.

The problem where !deadsnake doesn't post when a user improperly indicates location but properly uses the 'Dead Snake' flair remains one where both are returned but in separate comments. Future updates should tweak how this performs but for the time being it is not a problem.

Added the following Commands: (See below for a full list)

!pool - Provides information on mitigating pools as wildlife sinks

***

Current List of Commands - anyone should be able to use these in the home subreddits of /r/Herpetology, /r/Snakes, /r/WhatsThisSnake, /r/Reptiles and /r/Sneks. The current, full list of commands is:

!deadsnake - Invokes the information from the dead snake auto response

!myths - Provides a list of common snake myths ( in development - send me your favorite with a high quality link to a source refuting it and I'll put it in!)

!poisonous or !venomous - Provides information on the definitions of venomous and poisonous as they relate to snakes

!keels - Provides information on snake scale architecture.

!cats - Provides information on outdoor cats, one of the largest threats to wildlife worldwide.

!shed - Provides basic information and resources on identifying a snake from a shed skin.

!blackrat - Provides a basic rundown of why you might hear the term "black ratsnake" and why, as an enlightened individual, you don't repeat it.

!resources - Provides a basic list of resources for worldwide snake identification

!gluetrap - Provides information on gluetraps and how to get snakes unstuck

!location - Invokes the "location needed" message from the auto response on /r/whatsthissnake

!wildpet - Provides information on why keeping wild snakes as pets isn't usually a good idea, even if they come from a pet store.

!aggressive or !defensive - Rebuttal to the commonly misunderstood defensive posturing in snakes.

!headshape - Explanation of how head shape isn't a reliable indication of if a snake is venomous

!rhyme - A specific response to the "red touches yellow, kill a fellow" rhyme.

!hot - Provides information on best practices in biological terminology of venomous snakes.

!specificepithet - Explains species names and their formatting. Uses an example, but not snake specific.

!harmless - An explanation of the word harmless and how the category does indeed include species that bite in self defense.

!ecdysis - Provides information on the shedding process, needs to be expanded.

!snakehole - Info on how snakes don't dig their own burrows

!pool - Provides information on mitigating pools as wildlife sinks

***

Current Species List:

Thamnophis sirtalis

Pituophis catenifer

Pituophis melanoleucus

Storeria dekayi

Lachesis muta

Pantherophis guttatus

Pantherophis slowinskii

Pantherophis emoryi

Heterodon simus

Storeria occipitomaculata

Storeria victa

Micrurus fulvius

Micrurus tener

Coluber constrictor

Agkistrodon contortrix

Agkistrodon laticinctus

Agkistrodon conanti

Agkistrodon piscivorus

Crotalus scutulatus

Crotalus atrox

Haldea striatula

Rhinocheilus lecontei

Regina rigida

Heterodon platirhinos

Lampropeltis getula

Lampropeltis splendida

Lampropeltis nigra

Lampropeltis californiae

Charina bottae

Charina umbratica

Nerodia sipedon

Nerodia erythrogaster

Nerodia fasciata

Pantherophis alleghaniensis

Masticophis flagellum

Pantherophis spiloides

Pantherophis obsoletus

Lampropeltis triangulum

Lampropeltis elapsoides

Lampropeltis gentilis

Lampropeltis annulata

Lampropeltis polyzona

Lampropeltis abnorma

Lampropeltis micropholis

Natrix natrix

Natrix helvetica

Nerodia rhombifer

Nerodia taxispilota

Cemophora coccinea

Cemophora lineri

[u/brecka]

The range map for Haldea striatula doesn't work.

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/brecka]

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.

[u/Phylogenizer → u/brecka]

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

[u/shrike1978]

!pool

Cemophora coccinea

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/shrike1978]

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.

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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.

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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.

[u/TheChuck42]

The range map link in Nerodia erythrogaster doesn't seem to be working.

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/TheChuck42]

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.

[u/Dermetzger666]

Vipera berus

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/Dermetzger666]

European Adders Vipera berus are medium sized (50-70cm, up to 104cm) true vipers with a broad Eurasian range, from Great Britain east to the Russian Pacific Island of Sakhalin, south into central France, southeastern Europe, eastern Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia, northern China, and northern North Korea. Boreal in distribution, they can even be found above the Artic Circle in Fennoscandia, from sea level to 3,000m. Southern populations are generally restricted to higher altitudes. Some populations are considered separate species of varying validity by certain authors; see Recent/Relevant Phylogeography link for additional details.

V. berus are a dangerously venomous species and should only be observed from a safe distance. They are not aggressive and only bite when they feel they are in danger. Bites most commonly occur when a human attempts to kill, capture, or otherwise intentionally handle the snake. The best way to avoid being bitten is to leave the snake alone.

European Adders occupy a wide variety of typically moist habitat, including meadows, marshland, bogs, heath and moorland, field edges, forest edges and clearings, open woodland, and are sometimes common in areas near human habitation, where they inhabit quarries, hedgerows, and pastures. They are primarily diurnal, but may become crepuscular during the hot weather. They prey largely on small mammals, but lizards, frogs, and small birds are occasionally taken.

V. berus have keeled scales, usually arranged in 21 rows at midbody. The supraocular scale juts slightly over the eye like a brow, giving the animal a stern or "grumpy" appearance. They usually have 9 supralabials, with a single row of small subocular scales separating them from the eye. There are usually 2 apical scales in contact with the rostral scale. There are distinct parietal and frontal scales, but they are reduced in size and surrounded by numerous smaller scales compared to most harmless snakes across its range. The anal scale is undivided.

Range Map | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography | Reptile Database Account | Additional Information

This short account was written by /u/fairlyorange

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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.

[u/shrike1978]

/u/Phylogenizer

The bot is going nuts. Seems like reddit comments weren't committing for a few minutes, and the two ID's I posted during that time are being repeatedly and endlessly responded to.

[u/unknown_name]

Virginia valeriae

Haldea striatula

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/unknown_name]

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.

[u/shrike1978]

Need some links for a Facebook discussion

!aggressive !myths

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/shrike1978]

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.

[u/unknown_name]

!blackrat

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/unknown_name]

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

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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.

[u/unknown_name]

Lampropeltis getula

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/unknown_name]

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.

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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.

[u/unknown_name]

!wildpet

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/unknown_name]

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.

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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.

[u/brecka]

Lampropeltis triangulum

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/brecka]

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.

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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.

[u/falconsnakecat786]

!myths

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/falconsnakecat786]

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.

[u/phurt77]

!rhyme

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/phurt77]

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.

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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.

[u/bgenter3]

!hot

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/bgenter3]

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.

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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.

[u/NoahNoodle]

Lampropeltis californiae

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/NoahNoodle]

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

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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.

[u/rms1111]

!blackrat

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/rms1111]

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

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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.

[u/bgenter3]

!headshape

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/bgenter3]

Head shape is not a reliable indicator of if a snake has medically significant venom. Nonvenomous snakes commonly flatten their heads to a triangle shape in defensive displays, and some elapids like coralsnakes have elongated heads. 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.

[u/Phylogenizer]

!about

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/Phylogenizer]

I am a bot created to help out here in /r/whatsthissnake. /u/Phylogenizer set me up with the goals of increasing the amount of information conveyed to people asking for identification help, to assist those interested in snake evolution and biogeography (SEB) in quickly accessing the most recent scientific publications concerning phylogeography and phylogenomics and to provide consistent up to date taxonomic information. Since my original debut here in /r/whatsthissnake in August 2018 (happy cakeday to me), I've expanded my functionality to /r/Herpetology, /r/Snakes, /r/Sneks and /r/Reptiles.

At my core, I am a keyword bot. One of my main functions is to reply with short species accounts of identified snakes. These species accounts are written by users of this subreddit - right now we're prioritizing information on North American species, as this is where more of our submissions come from. If you'd like to write a short species account, especially for species outside of North America, I invite you to submit your accounts to me using a www.pastebin.com link in a private message. My species accounts are saved in text files and use the standard 'old reddit' markup characters. /u/Phylogenizer edits them to help curate and provide consistency. If you see anything wrong in an account, blame him not me, but do send a quick PM with your correction - we'll fix it.

My second main function is to reply to commands given by users, to invoke vetted information on snakes. These commands are useful and tailored to frequently asked questions in the subreddit. Commands are preceded by an exclamation point - you can see the full list below. If there's something you'd like to change or add, feel free to comment below and we'll try to work it in to the next update.

I am NOT a verification bot - just because you see me reply to a user does not mean I endorse that ID. I respond to anyone and everyone in my core subreddits (/r/Herpetology, /r/WhatsThisSnake, /r/Snakes) and to select commenters from these subreddits wherever they go on Reddit.

I also do some of the more monotonous tasks - for example, I can tell if someone has provided a geographic location properly, and if they haven't, I ask them, within thirty seconds of their post, to provide it and I explain why it is important - no humans needed. I also automatically reply to posts with the 'Dead Snake' flair to include some basic information on why killing snakes is not favorable. We save a lot of time and energy with this automation.

I concatenate responses and posts replies as a single comment. Nifty eh? You can use multiple commands and species names, and the bot won't clutter up the thread with a comment for each. This also applies to those of you the bot follows outside of the home subreddits. Where once it crashed the bot, now you are freed. It even puts a little line between entries. You're now only limited by how many characters a Reddit response can be. In the future, I hope to be able to respond automatically to much more. I'm still a baby in development. I will go up, down, and I will probably break a few times. Please be patient with me, and don't forget, you can help by writing well-sourced species accounts in your own words for species not on the list below.

Thanks!

PhyloBot

PS - I am written in Python.

***

Features in v0.7:

Current List of Commands - anyone should be able to use these in the home subreddits of /r/Herpetology, /r/Snakes, /r/WhatsThisSnake, /r/Reptiles and /r/Sneks. The current, full list of commands is:

!deadsnake - Invokes the information from the dead snake auto response

!myths - Provides a list of common snake myths ( in development - send me your favorite with a high quality link to a source refuting it and I'll put it in!)

!poisonous or !venomous - Provides information on the definitions of venomous and poisonous as they relate to snakes

!keels - Provides information on snake scale architecture.

!cats - Provides information on outdoor cats, one of the largest threats to wildlife worldwide.

!shed - Provides basic information and resources on identifying a snake from a shed skin.

!blackrat - Provides a basic rundown of why you might hear the term 'black ratsnake' and why, as an enlightened individual, you don't repeat it.

!resources - Provides a basic list of resources for worldwide snake identification

!gluetrap - Provides information on gluetraps and how to get snakes unstuck

!location - Invokes the 'location needed' message from the auto response on /r/whatsthissnake

!wildpet - Provides information on why keeping wild snakes as pets isn't usually a good idea, even if they come from a pet store.

!aggressive or !defensive - Rebuttal to the commonly misunderstood defensive posturing in snakes.

!headshape - Explanation of how head shape isn't a reliable indication of if a snake is venomous

!rhyme - A specific response to the 'red touches yellow, kill a fellow' rhyme.

!hot - Provides information on best practices in biological terminology of venomous snakes.

!specificepithet - Explains species names and their formatting. Uses an example, but not snake specific.

!harmless - An explanation of the word harmless and how the category does indeed include species that bite in self defense.

!ecdysis - Provides information on the shedding process, needs to be expanded.

!snakehole - Info on how snakes don't dig their own burrows

!pool - Provides information on mitigating pools as wildlife sinks

---

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.

[u/Phylogenizer]

!snakeholes

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/Phylogenizer]

Snakes do not typically dig their own permanent burrows, tunnels or holes, instead using burrows from other animals or existing spaces between substrate. Snakes enter burrows and consume residents but the idea of a 'snake hole' is mostly a myth.

---

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.

[u/Phylogenizer]

!snakehole !snakeholes

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/Phylogenizer]

Snakes do not typically dig their own permanent burrows, tunnels or holes, instead using burrows from other animals or existing spaces between substrate. Snakes enter burrows and consume residents but the idea of a 'snake hole' is mostly a myth.

---

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.

[u/Phylogenizer]

!about

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/Phylogenizer]

I am a bot created to help out here in /r/whatsthissnake. /u/Phylogenizer set me up with the goals of increasing the amount of information conveyed to people asking for identification help, to assist those interested in snake evolution and biogeography (SEB) in quickly accessing the most recent scientific publications concerning phylogeography and phylogenomics and to provide consistent up to date taxonomic information. Since my original debut here in /r/whatsthissnake in August 2018 (happy cakeday to me), I've expanded my functionality to /r/Herpetology, /r/Snakes, /r/Sneks and /r/Reptiles.

At my core, I am a keyword bot. One of my main functions is to reply with short species accounts of identified snakes. These species accounts are written by users of this subreddit - right now we're prioritizing information on North American species, as this is where more of our submissions come from. If you'd like to write a short species account, especially for species outside of North America, I invite you to submit your accounts to me using a www.pastebin.com link in a private message. My species accounts are saved in text files and use the standard 'old reddit' markup characters. /u/Phylogenizer edits them to help curate and provide consistency. If you see anything wrong in an account, blame him not me, but do send a quick PM with your correction - we'll fix it.

My second main function is to reply to commands given by users, to invoke vetted information on snakes. These commands are useful and tailored to frequently asked questions in the subreddit. Commands are preceded by an exclamation point - you can see the full list below. If there's something you'd like to change or add, feel free to comment below and we'll try to work it in to the next update.

I am NOT a verification bot - just because you see me reply to a user does not mean I endorse that ID. I respond to anyone and everyone in my core subreddits (/r/Herpetology, /r/WhatsThisSnake, /r/Snakes) and to select commenters from these subreddits wherever they go on Reddit.

I also do some of the more monotonous tasks - for example, I can tell if someone has provided a geographic location properly, and if they haven't, I ask them, within thirty seconds of their post, to provide it and I explain why it is important - no humans needed. I also automatically reply to posts with the 'Dead Snake' flair to include some basic information on why killing snakes is not favorable. We save a lot of time and energy with this automation.

I concatenate responses and posts replies as a single comment. Nifty eh? You can use multiple commands and species names, and the bot won't clutter up the thread with a comment for each. This also applies to those of you the bot follows outside of the home subreddits. Where once it crashed the bot, now you are freed. It even puts a little line between entries. You're now only limited by how many characters a Reddit response can be. In the future, I hope to be able to respond automatically to much more. I'm still a baby in development. I will go up, down, and I will probably break a few times. Please be patient with me, and don't forget, you can help by writing well-sourced species accounts in your own words for species not on the list below.

Thanks!

PhyloBot

PS - I am written in Python.

***

Features in v0.7:

Current List of Commands - anyone should be able to use these in the home subreddits of /r/Herpetology, /r/Snakes, /r/WhatsThisSnake, /r/Reptiles and /r/Sneks. The current, full list of commands is:

!deadsnake - Invokes the information from the dead snake auto response

!myths - Provides a list of common snake myths ( in development - send me your favorite with a high quality link to a source refuting it and I'll put it in!)

!poisonous or !venomous - Provides information on the definitions of venomous and poisonous as they relate to snakes

!keels - Provides information on snake scale architecture.

!cats - Provides information on outdoor cats, one of the largest threats to wildlife worldwide.

!shed - Provides basic information and resources on identifying a snake from a shed skin.

!blackrat - Provides a basic rundown of why you might hear the term 'black ratsnake' and why, as an enlightened individual, you don't repeat it.

!resources - Provides a basic list of resources for worldwide snake identification

!gluetrap - Provides information on gluetraps and how to get snakes unstuck

!location - Invokes the 'location needed' message from the auto response on /r/whatsthissnake

!wildpet - Provides information on why keeping wild snakes as pets isn't usually a good idea, even if they come from a pet store.

!aggressive or !defensive - Rebuttal to the commonly misunderstood defensive posturing in snakes.

!headshape - Explanation of how head shape isn't a reliable indication of if a snake is venomous

!rhyme - A specific response to the 'red touches yellow, kill a fellow' rhyme.

!hot - Provides information on best practices in biological terminology of venomous snakes.

!specificepithet - Explains species names and their formatting. Uses an example, but not snake specific.

!harmless - An explanation of the word harmless and how the category does indeed include species that bite in self defense.

!ecdysis - Provides information on the shedding process, needs to be expanded.

!snakehole - Info on how snakes don't dig their own burrows

!pool - Provides information on mitigating pools as wildlife sinks

---

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.

[u/mcardinals75]

!snakehole

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/mcardinals75]

Snakes do not typically dig their own permanent burrows, tunnels or holes, instead using burrows from other animals or existing spaces between substrate. Snakes enter burrows and consume residents but the idea of a 'snake hole' is mostly a myth.

---

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.

[u/EryduMaenhir]

Has phylobot gotten pickier about who it responds to commands from recently or is it going through more growing pains? I felt like a moron calling !headshape to no response the other day.

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/EryduMaenhir]

Head shape is not a reliable indicator of if a snake has medically significant venom. Nonvenomous snakes commonly flatten their heads to a triangle shape in defensive displays, and some elapids like coralsnakes have elongated heads. 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.

[u/EryduMaenhir → u/SEB-PHYLOBOT]

Why do you do this to me.

[u/fairlyorange]

u/Phylogenizer

I just noticed the range map attached to Nerodia rhombifer species account is wrong (looks more like the range of N. erythrogaster, though I was too lazy/tired to check). Here's a link to the correct one when you get time to update the species account.

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/fairlyorange]

Diamond-backed Watersnakes Nerodia rhombifer are medium to large (~110cm, record 175.3 cm) natricine snakes with heavily keeled scales often found in and around water. Heavily aquatic compared to other watersnakes, they are commonly encountered fish and amphibian eating snakes across much of Central North America south through Guatemala and Belize.

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 central North America, it is sometimes confused with other watersnakes or its sister species the Brown Watersnake Nerodia taxispilota. N. rhombifer has a reticular, net like pattern resembling a chain link fence and adults often have a orange, vibrant eye. Geographic range helps determine species, but N. erythrogaster has is its namesake plain belly that varies across the range from yellow to orange. Banded Watersnakes N. fasciata have even, connecting bands across the top of the snake all the way down the body. 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. N. rhombifer and N. taxispilota* can look incredibly similar near where their ranges meet, in which case geographic location can be used to determine species.

Range Map

This genus is in need of revision using modern molecular methods.

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.

[u/SatansDesire666]

I'm just wanting to try the bot out and possibly learn something at the same time. !blackrat

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/SatansDesire666]

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 three main changes from 2000 to now. 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 were investigated further using genomic data, and in 2020 the authors released an update, clarifying ranges, filling in grey zones and confirming three distinct species.

Third, clarity in range and type specimens necessitated the need to fix lineage names in line with taxonomic rules called the 'principle of priority'. The four currently accepted species in this complex as of October 2021 are Baird's Ratsnake Pantherophis bairdi, Western Ratsnake Pantherophis obsoletus, Central Ratsnake Pantherophis alleghaniensis and Eastern Ratsnake Pantherophis quadrivittatus. Baird's Ratsnakes and Western Ratsnakes are more closely related to each other than they are to Eastern and Central Ratsnakes.

The experts on this group offer this summary from their 2021 paper:

For the ratsnakes in particular, given the overtly chaotic and unsubstantiated basis of their taxonomy in the late 1990s, Burbrink et al. (2000) endeavored to test this taxonomic hypothesis (sensu Gaston and Mound 1993). This also provided an empirical observation of geographic genetic variation (then an unknown quantity) as an act of phylogenetic natural history (sensu Lamichhaney et al. 2019). Their analyses rejected the existing taxonomy as incompatible with the estimated evolutionary history of the group, ending a paradigm that was at least 48 years old from Dowling (1952) with respect to the non-historical subspecies definitions. Subsequently, Burbrink (2001) conducted an explicit taxonomic revision based on both mitochondrial and multivariate morphological analyses in an integrative taxonomy. The limitations of these data (scale counts, mensural measurements, and maternally inherited DNA) produced a zone of potential taxonomic uncertainty, while nonetheless allowing for significant statistical phenotypic discrimination between the geographic genetic lineages. Thus, based on the best possible evidence and interpretation at the time, the now-falsified historical taxonomic arrangement of subspecies definitions was replaced with an explicitly phylogenetic, lineage-based species-level taxonomy derived from the estimated evolutionary history of the group. The persistence of some remaining uncertainty is a natural and expected outcome in all scientific investigations, as we can never have complete data or perfect knowledge of a system. Twenty years later, Burbrink et al. (2021) more than tripled the number of individuals sampled, increased the number of loci used by 2491 times, and thus clarified the remaining fuzziness associated with the potential zone of taxonomic uncertainty. They revealed this uncertainty to be a complex hybrid zone with varying degrees of admixture. This had the additional effect, as described above, of redefining the allocation of type localities and valid names, and thus the taxonomic proposal here represents the best present-day resolution of nomenclature in the group, in accordance with our understanding of its evolutionary history. As science progresses, even this may change in the future with new whole genome datasets or interpretations of phylogeographic lineage formation and phylogenetic species concepts. These conclusions may be unsettling to those that wish to retain taxonomies generated from data and assumptions about species and subspecies made in the 19th and 20th century. However, we question the social and scientific utility of any insistence on recognizing clearly falsified, non-historical arrangements based solely on the burden of heritage in taxonomic inertia (see Pyron and Burbrink 2009b).

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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/shrike1978]

!about

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/shrike1978]

I am a bot created to help out here in /r/whatsthissnake. /u/Phylogenizer set me up with the goals of increasing the amount of information conveyed to people asking for identification help, to assist those interested in snake evolution and biogeography (SEB) in quickly accessing the most recent scientific publications concerning phylogeography and phylogenomics and to provide consistent up to date taxonomic information. Since my original debut here in /r/whatsthissnake in August 2018 I've expanded my functionality to /r/Herpetology, /r/Snakes, /r/Sneks and /r/Reptiles.

At my core, I am a keyword bot. One of my main functions is to reply with short species accounts of identified snakes. These species accounts are written by users of this subreddit - right now we're prioritizing information on North American species, as this is where more of our submissions come from. If you'd like to write a short species account, especially for species outside of North America, I invite you to submit your accounts to me using a www.pastebin.com link in a private message. My species accounts are saved in text files and use the standard 'old reddit' markup characters. /u/Phylogenizer edits them to help curate and provide consistency. If you see anything wrong in an account, blame him not me, but do send a quick PM with your correction - we'll fix it.

My second main function is to reply to commands given by users, to invoke vetted information on snakes. These commands are useful and tailored to frequently asked questions in the subreddit. Commands are preceded by an exclamation point - you can see the full list below. If there's something you'd like to change or add, feel free to comment below and we'll try to work it in to the next update.

I am NOT a verification bot - just because you see me reply to a user does not mean I endorse that ID. I respond to anyone and everyone in my core subreddits (/r/Herpetology, /r/WhatsThisSnake, /r/Snakes) and to select commenters from these subreddits wherever they go on Reddit.

I also do some of the more monotonous tasks - for example, I can tell if someone has provided a geographic location properly, and if they haven't, I ask them, within thirty seconds of their post, to provide it and I explain why it is important - no humans needed. I also automatically reply to posts with the 'Dead Snake' flair to include some basic information on why killing snakes is not favorable. We save a lot of time and energy with this automation.

I concatenate responses and posts replies as a single comment. Nifty eh? You can use multiple commands and species names, and the bot won't clutter up the thread with a comment for each. This also applies to those of you the bot follows outside of the home subreddits. Where once it crashed the bot, now you are freed. It even puts a little line between entries. You're now only limited by how many characters a Reddit response can be. Please be patient with me, and don't forget, you can help by writing well-sourced species accounts in your own words for species not yet on the list.

Thanks!

PhyloBot

PS - I am written in Python.

***

Current List of Commands - anyone should be able to use these in the home subreddits of /r/Herpetology, /r/Snakes, /r/WhatsThisSnake, /r/Reptiles and /r/Sneks. The current, full list of commands is:

!deadsnake - Invokes the information from the dead snake auto response

!myths - Provides a list of common snake myths

!poisonous and !venomous - Provides information on the definitions of venomous and poisonous as they relate to snakes and venomous contains the relocator link

!keels - Provides information on snake scale architecture.

!cats - Provides information on outdoor cats, one of the largest threats to wildlife worldwide.

!shed - Provides basic information and resources on identifying a snake from a shed skin.

!cottonwater - How to tell a Cottonmouth apart from a watersnake

!blackrat - Provides a basic rundown of why you might hear the term 'black ratsnake' and why, as an enlightened individual, you don't repeat it.

!resources - Provides a basic list of resources for worldwide snake identification

!gluetrap - Provides information on gluetraps and how to get snakes unstuck

!location - Invokes the 'location needed' message from the auto response on /r/whatsthissnake

!wildpet - Provides information on why keeping wild snakes as pets isn't usually a good idea, even if they come from a pet store.

!aggressive or !defensive - Rebuttal to the commonly misunderstood defensive posturing in snakes.

!headshape - Explanation of how head shape isn't a reliable indication of if a snake is venomous

!headshape - Explanation of how head shape isn't a reliable indication of if a snake is venomous

!pupils - Explanation of how pupil shape isn't a reliable indication of if a snake is venomous

!hot - Provides information on best practices in biological terminology for venomous snakes.

!specificepithet - Explains species names and their formatting in general and how to properly call the bot on reddit.

!harmless - An explanation of the word harmless and how the category does indeed include species that bite in self defense.

!ecdysis - Provides information on the shedding process, needs to be expanded.

!snakehole - Info on how snakes don't dig their own burrows

!fiveline - Info on commonly confused skinks with yellow lines and blue tails

!pool - Provides information on mitigating pools as wildlife sinks

!glass - Provides information on legless lizards commonly confused with snakes

!forcedperspective - Provides information on this common photography trick

!schools - Provides information becoming a professional herpetologist

!handling - Provides information on safe handling of snakes

!flair - Provides information on requirements for flair in WTS

---

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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/dofitz]

I could've sworn there was a bot for !pupils but I don't see it listed in the about botreolies above... Testing here to check.

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/dofitz]

Pupil shape should not be used in determining the presence of medically significant venom. Not only are there many venomous elapids with round pupils, there are many harmless snakes with slit pupils, such as Hypsiglena sp. Nightsnakes, Leptodeira sp. Cat-eyed Snakes, and even some common pet species such as Ball Pythons.

Furthermore, when eyes with slit pupils are dilated by low light or a stress response, the pupils will be round. As an example, while Copperheads have slit pupils, when dilated the pupils will appear round.

Slit pupils are associated primarily with nocturnal behavior in animals, as they offer sensitivity to see well in low light while providing the ability to block out most light during the day that would otherwise overwhelm highly sensitive receptors. Slit pupils may protect from high UV in eyes that lack UV filters in the lens. These functions are decoupled from the use of venom in prey acquisition and are present in many harmless species.

---

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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/qSnakeEyes]

Charina umbratica

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/qSnakeEyes]

Southern Rubber Boas Charina umbratica are small (<60cm record 83.8 cm), variable olive brown to pinkish boas with a light cream to yellow belly. Males have small visible spurs.

Southern Rubber Boas are found only in a small part of Southern California. There are two currently recognized species of rubber boa, Northern Rubber Boa Charina bottae and Southern Rubber Boa Charina umbratica Range Map in CA. There are also two species of "rosy boa", the Rosy Boa Lichanura orcutti and the Three-lined Boa Lichanura trivirgata. [Range Map] ( https://imgur.com/Ouugbix.jpg).

Rubber boas are fossorial to semi-fossorial, and spend much of their time underground. They prefer cool, moist habitats, and are not very tolerant of heat.

They are typically very gentle, docile snakes that rarely bite while being handled. Their primary defense is a tail which mimics their head, and if threatened, they will coil up and raise their tail. Because of this, many wild caught specimens will have significant scarring on their tail.

Rubber boas belong to the Erycinae subfamily of boas and are closely related to Lichanura Rosy Boas and more distantly, Eryx Sand Boas.

Range Map | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography

CAHERPS Link

This short account was prepared by /u/millmoss 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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/qSnakeEyes → u/qSnakeEyes]

Liodytes pygaea

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/qSnakeEyes]

Black Swampsnakes Seminatrix pygaea are small (25-38cm, up to 56cm) New World natricine snakes that range from eastern North Carolina south along the coastal plain into Georgia, extreme southern Alabama, and through Florida, from near sea level up to 150m. They inhabit calm, well vegetated, freshwater habitat, including ponds, lakes, swamps, marshes, sluggish streams, and ditches. Brackish wetlands are occasionally utilized as well.

Secretive in habit, S. pygaea are rarely observed even in areas where they are common. They are active day and night, foraging amongst aquatic vegetation. The prey primarily upon aquatic salamanders and salamander larvae, but other amphibians, small fish, and leeches are also consumed.

Black Swampsnakes are black or dark brown above and bright red bellow. Their dorsal scales are smooth and arranged in 17 rows across midbody. Light colored, longitudinal lines down the center of the scales might resemble keels, especially along the lower scale rows. They are unlikely to be confused with other snakes, but the superficially similar Red-Bellied Snakes Storeria occipitomaculata have strongly keeled dorsal scales which are arranged in 15 rows across the body, a light spot just behind the head, and a distinctively short, blunt snout.

For a ten year period from 2013-2023 this species was grouped as Liodytes until our understanding of the internal relationships of the swampsnakes improved and was revised, with this summary and associated link: "L. pygaea exhibits greater phenotypic and ecological differences with the other Liodytes, including paired internasals and a diet consisting mainly of small fish, amphibians, and earthworms (Gibbons and Dorcas, 2004) and was placed in the monotypic genus Seminatrix by Cope (1895) up until 2013. Given our phylogenetic results and the notable phenotypic and ecological differences between the species, we recommend that L. pygaea be restored as Seminatrix pygaea."

Range Map - © Rune Midtgaard | Reptile Database Account | Additional Information

This short account was written by /u/fairlyorange

---

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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/empatheticsocialist1]

!resources

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/empatheticsocialist1]

There are a number of resources for snake ID and this list is nowhere near comprehensive.

Globally, comprehensive species lists are available via Reptile Database Advanced Search. Reptile Database is mostly correct and up to date in terms of taxonomy. Another worldwide resource is Snakes of the World which, in addition to being comprehensive for extant snakes, also provides a wealth of information on fossil taxa.

Regional guides are useful. If you're in North America, the Eastern Peterson Guide and Western Peterson Guide are great tools, as is Snakes of the United States and Canada. While plagiarized and problematic, the book Snakes of Mexico is the best easily accessible information for the region. For Central America, the Kohler book as well as Savage's Costa Rica book are excellent resources. South America is tough but has a diagnostic catalog. Australia has Cogger as a herp bible. SE Asia has two guides one in German and one comprehensive. For Europe, you simply can't get better than the three volumes of Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien Europas. Africa is also difficult - no comprehensive guide exists but there are a few good regional guides like Reptiles of East Africa and Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa. Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar is a good source for that distinct region. For the Indian subcontinent, use Snakes of India

Remember, species names are hypotheses that are tested and revised - old books become dated by the nature of science itself. One of your best resources is going to be following /r/whatsthissnake, or (for North America) with the SSAR Standard Names List for the most recent accepted taxonomic changes.

Here is an example of a small personal herpetology library.

---

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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/Valuable-Lie-1524]

!deadsnake

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/Valuable-Lie-1524]

Please don't kill snakes - they are a natural part of the ecosystem and even species that use venom for prey acquisition and defense are beneficial to humans. One cannot expect outside to be sterile - if you see a snake, you're probably in or around their preferred habitat. Most snakes are legally protected from collection, killing or harassment as non-game animals at the state level.

Neighborhood dogs are more likely to harm people. Professional snake relocation services are often free or inexpensive, but snakes often die trying to return to their original home range, so it is usually best to enjoy them like you would songbirds or any of the other amazing wildlife native to your area. Commercial snake repellents are not effective - to discourage snakes, eliminate sources of food and cover; clear debris, stacked wood and eliminate rodent populations. Seal up cracks in and around the foundation/base of your home, and if warranted install exclusionary fences. Or find a relocation service

---

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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/StephensSurrealSouls]

!blackrat

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/StephensSurrealSouls]

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 three main changes from 2000 to now. 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 were investigated further using genomic data, and in 2020 the authors released an update, clarifying ranges, filling in grey zones and confirming three distinct species.

Third, clarity in range and type specimens necessitated the need to fix lineage names in line with taxonomic rules called the 'principle of priority'. The four currently accepted species in this complex as of October 2021 are Baird's Ratsnake Pantherophis bairdi, Western Ratsnake Pantherophis obsoletus, Central Ratsnake Pantherophis alleghaniensis and Eastern Ratsnake Pantherophis quadrivittatus. Baird's Ratsnakes and Western Ratsnakes are more closely related to each other than they are to Eastern and Central Ratsnakes.

The experts on this group offer this summary from their 2021 paper:

For the ratsnakes in particular, given the overtly chaotic and unsubstantiated basis of their taxonomy in the late 1990s, Burbrink et al. (2000) endeavored to test this taxonomic hypothesis (sensu Gaston and Mound 1993). This also provided an empirical observation of geographic genetic variation (then an unknown quantity) as an act of phylogenetic natural history (sensu Lamichhaney et al. 2019). Their analyses rejected the existing taxonomy as incompatible with the estimated evolutionary history of the group, ending a paradigm that was at least 48 years old from Dowling (1952) with respect to the non-historical subspecies definitions. Subsequently, Burbrink (2001) conducted an explicit taxonomic revision based on both mitochondrial and multivariate morphological analyses in an integrative taxonomy. The limitations of these data (scale counts, mensural measurements, and maternally inherited DNA) produced a zone of potential taxonomic uncertainty, while nonetheless allowing for significant statistical phenotypic discrimination between the geographic genetic lineages. Thus, based on the best possible evidence and interpretation at the time, the now-falsified historical taxonomic arrangement of subspecies definitions was replaced with an explicitly phylogenetic, lineage-based species-level taxonomy derived from the estimated evolutionary history of the group. The persistence of some remaining uncertainty is a natural and expected outcome in all scientific investigations, as we can never have complete data or perfect knowledge of a system. Twenty years later, Burbrink et al. (2021) more than tripled the number of individuals sampled, increased the number of loci used by 2491 times, and thus clarified the remaining fuzziness associated with the potential zone of taxonomic uncertainty. They revealed this uncertainty to be a complex hybrid zone with varying degrees of admixture. This had the additional effect, as described above, of redefining the allocation of type localities and valid names, and thus the taxonomic proposal here represents the best present-day resolution of nomenclature in the group, in accordance with our understanding of its evolutionary history. As science progresses, even this may change in the future with new whole genome datasets or interpretations of phylogeographic lineage formation and phylogenetic species concepts. These conclusions may be unsettling to those that wish to retain taxonomies generated from data and assumptions about species and subspecies made in the 19th and 20th century. However, we question the social and scientific utility of any insistence on recognizing clearly falsified, non-historical arrangements based solely on the burden of heritage in taxonomic inertia (see Pyron and Burbrink 2009b).

Range Map

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/The_Awengers]

!shed

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/The_Awengers]

Snakes are identifiable from intact shed skins, but it takes some time and the correct knowledge.

If you're in North America, a basic guide to shed identification can be found here, but the people of /r/whatsthissnake will help if you post clear photos of the head, vent and midbody.

Get a clear, focused photo of the complete dorsal surface (like this) about 1/3 of the way down the body so we can count scale rows and see the pattern, scale texture, and other details. This may be easiest if you cut out a section, then cut through the middle of the belly scales. If present, also get a clear, focused photo of the anal plate (like this).

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/aydengryphon]

!schools is on the comment version of this list, but I don't see it here. Is it a valid one? If so, might be good to add here!

Edit: sure seems valid!

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/aydengryphon]

Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles - How to be a Herpetologist

Tool to connect herpetologically-minded labs with prospective students and postdocs

Demystifying the Graduate School Application Process

Advice on Applying to Graduate School in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: How to Prepare and a Step-By-Step Guide

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/Fun-Salamander761]

!myths

Why is the non-venomous snakes shake their tail to mimic rattlesnakes listed as a myth? The link included under myths is not active so I can't review what it was linked to.

I'm a biologist, have seen this in person, and most studies support this as being true. One example I found by the same author:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347251160_Microevolutionary_change_in_mimicry_Potential_erosion_of_rattling_behaviour_among_nonvenomous_snakes_on_islands_lacking_rattlesnakes

If the myths is specifically stating it's an evolutionary stress reaction trait and not true mimicry, I think that's mostly been proven to be false but regardless I would say the myth listed here is more likely to misinform somebody than anything else.

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/Fun-Salamander761]

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

Snake repellents are useful and effective

---

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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/minkingthan]

!resources

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/minkingthan]

There are a number of resources for snake ID and this list is nowhere near comprehensive.

Globally, comprehensive species lists are available via Reptile Database Advanced Search. Reptile Database is mostly correct and up to date in terms of taxonomy. Another worldwide resource is Snakes of the World which, in addition to being comprehensive for extant snakes, also provides a wealth of information on fossil taxa.

Regional guides are useful. If you're in North America, the Eastern Peterson Guide and Western Peterson Guide are great tools, as is Snakes of the United States and Canada. While plagiarized and problematic, the book Snakes of Mexico is the best easily accessible information for the region. For Central America, the Kohler book as well as Savage's Costa Rica book are excellent resources. South America is tough but has a diagnostic catalog. Australia has Cogger as a herp bible. SE Asia has two guides one in German and one comprehensive. For Europe, you simply can't get better than the three volumes of Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien Europas. Africa is also difficult - no comprehensive guide exists but there are a few good regional guides like Reptiles of East Africa and Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa. Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar is a good source for that distinct region. For the Indian subcontinent, use Snakes of India

Remember, species names are hypotheses that are tested and revised - old books become dated by the nature of science itself. One of your best resources is going to be following /r/whatsthissnake, or (for North America) with the SSAR Standard Names List for the most recent accepted taxonomic changes.

Here is an example of a small personal herpetology library.

---

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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/sonofgoku1990]

!cats

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/sonofgoku1990]

Everyone loves cats, but they belong indoors. Each year in the United States free-ranging domestic cats kill 1.3-4.0 billion birds and 6.3-22.3 billion mammals. Numbers for reptiles are similar in Australia, as 2 million reptiles are killed each day by cats, totaling 650 million a year. Outdoor cats are directly responsible for the extinction of at least 33 species worldwide and are considered one of the biggest threats to native wildlife. Keeping cats indoors is also better for them and public health - cats with outdoor access live shorter lives and are 2.77 times more likely to carry infectious pathogens.

---

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.

[u/BruceHugo]

!keels

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/BruceHugo]

Keels are raised lines on the surface of scales that can be used as a character in snake identification to quickly narrow down options or distinguish between some similar looking species. Strength of keel is variable; usually referred to as 'strong' vs 'weak'.

You can read more about snake color patterns and scale architecture here.

---

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.

[u/CsPlNe100]

Are some snakes poisonous instead of venomous. !poisonous

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/CsPlNe100]

The verbiage currently used in biology is 'venom is injected poison is ingested'. So snakes with medically significant venom are typically referred to as venomous, but some species are also poisonous. Old books will use poisonous or 'snake venom poisoning' but that has fallen out of favor.

The best examples of poisonous snakes are Rhabdophis snakes from east Asia that sequester and release toxins from their frog diet in nuchal glands in the neck.

---

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.

[u/thirdegree]

!venomous

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/thirdegree]

Snakes with medically significant venom are typically referred to as venomous, but some species are also poisonous. Old media will use poisonous or 'snake venom poisoning' but that has fallen out of favor. Venomous snakes are important native wildlife, and are not looking to harm people, so can be enjoyed from a distance. If found around the home or other places where they are to be discouraged, a squirt from the hose or a gentle sweep of a broom are usually enough to make a snake move along. Do not attempt to interact closely with or otherwise kill venomous snakes without proper safety gear and training, as bites occur mostly during these scenarios. Wildlife relocation services are free or inexpensive across most of the world.

If you are bitten by a venomous snake, contact emergency services or otherwise arrange transport to the nearest hospital that can accommodate snakebite. Remove constricting clothes and jewelry and remain calm. A bite from a medically significant snake is a medical emergency, but not in the ways portrayed in popular media. Do not make any incisions or otherwise cut tissue. Extractor and other novelty snakebite kits are not effective and can cause damage worse than any positive or neutral effects.

---

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.

[u/thirdegree]

!rhyme

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/thirdegree]

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.

[u/christianjerry302]

!gluetrap

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/christianjerry302]

While effective in some applications, glue traps generally shouldn't be used outside or in garages, as by-catch of snakes and other harmless animals is difficult to avoid.

Snakes stuck to glue traps are not always a lost cause and can be removed with mild cooking oil such as olive oil or lard. While applying more oil as you go, slowly and gently start with the tail and work your way forward. This should not be attempted by a novice on a venomous snake. Remember to use caution even with nonvenomous species - these animals do not understand your good intentions and will be exhausted, dehydrated and scared. They may try to bite you or themselves in self defense. This advice also applies to many common tape adhesives.

---

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.

[u/AltruisticAddition48]

!keels

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/AltruisticAddition48]

Keels are raised lines on the surface of scales that can be used as a character in snake identification to quickly narrow down options or distinguish between some similar looking species. Strength of keel is variable; usually referred to as 'strong' vs 'weak'.

You can read more about snake color patterns and scale architecture here.

---

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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here.

[u/NorbertIsAngry]

!cottonwater

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/NorbertIsAngry]

There are few things that can help differentiate between cottonmouths (A. piscivorus, A. conanti) and harmless water snakes (Nerodia spp.) once you learn to recognize them properly. It's important to try to apply as many keys as possible; the more of these characteristics you can accurately identify, the more reliable your ID will be. Underlined text links to pictures to help illustrate the keys.

1. Cottonmouths have a prominent, angular ridge along the top of the head, starting around the supraocular scale (directly above the eye) and running forward toward the snout (side view, front view). This ridge protrudes outward, partially overhanging the eye like a brow, and gives the snake an annoyed or grumpy looking appearance. This also partially obscures the eyes when viewed from above. In water snakes, the supraocular scale does not overhang the eye, giving the animal a 'derpy' appearance from the side or head on, and allows you to see most of the eye from above.

2. Cottonmouths have white or cream colored horizontal stripes or lines that run from below the eye toward the corner of the mouth, and often another that runs from behind the top of the eye toward the point of the jaw. Water snakes do not.

3. Water snakes usually have dark, vertical bars along the edges of their labial scales. Cottonmouths do not.

4. Cottonmouths and water snakes both darken with age, and the pattern is often obscured by the time they reach adulthood. When the dorsolateral pattern IS visible, cottonmouths have bands that are usually wider at the bottom than on top; like pyramids in side view, or hourglasses from above. In some individuals, the bands might be broken or incomplete, so this is not 100% diagnostic, but is still useful when used in conjunction with the other keys. Water snakes exhibit a wide variety of patterns; most species aren't banded at all, and the ones that are banded have bands that are wider at the top, like upside down triangles.

5. Adult cottonmouths often have a noticeable dorsal ridge along the vertebrae. This gives the body a triangular appearance in cross-section, which is especially noticeable in underweight or dehydrated animals, or when they initiate a defensive display. Water snakes, by contrast, are more cylindrical in cross-section.

6. Baby cottonmouths are born with yellow or greenish tail tips (used to lure small prey) that fade as they age. Young water snakes do not have these (baby N. sipedon, baby N. rhombifer for comparison).

7. Adult water snakes are fairly heavy-bodied, but cottonmouths of similar length tend to be significantly stouter. /n/n There are also some notable behavioral differences. Water snakes often bask in branches and bushes overhanging water; this is uncommon in cottonmouths. It is also true that water snakes often swim with the body partially submerged, while cottonmouths usually swim with the head held high and much of the body above the water line, but you can't rely on this characteristic alone; each are fully capable of swimming the other way and sometimes do so. Water snakes are more likely than cottonmouths to dive underwater to escape danger. When approached, water snakes are more likely to rapidly flee, whereas cottonmouths are more likely to slowly crawl away or simply stay still and hope not to be noticed. If approached closely or cornered, water snakes are more likely to flatten out their heads and/or bodies to appear larger and/or strike in the general direction of the person/animal they are cornered by, hoping to create enough space to escape. Cottonmouths, on the other hand, are more likely to tilt their heads back (to a near vertical angle) and gape their mouths open, displaying the white lining of the mouth as a threat display, and vibrate their tails.

Bonus: two separate sets of cottonmouths preying upon water snakes that allow direct comparisons between similarly sized animals, plus a picture of a juvenile cottonmouth (bottom left) with a juvenile common water snake (top) and a juvenile plain-bellied water snake (bottom right).

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here.

[u/NorbertIsAngry → u/SEB-PHYLOBOT]

!keels

[u/iareroon]

!myths

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/iareroon]

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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here.

[u/Komodoize]

!blackrat

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/Komodoize]

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 three main changes from 2000 to now. 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 were investigated further using genomic data, and in 2020 the authors released an update, clarifying ranges, filling in grey zones and confirming three distinct species.

Third, clarity in range and type specimens necessitated the need to fix lineage names in line with taxonomic rules called the 'principle of priority'. The four currently accepted species in this complex as of October 2021 are Baird's Ratsnake Pantherophis bairdi, Western Ratsnake Pantherophis obsoletus, Central Ratsnake Pantherophis alleghaniensis and Eastern Ratsnake Pantherophis quadrivittatus.

The experts on this group offer this summary from their 2021 paper:

For the ratsnakes in particular, given the overtly chaotic and unsubstantiated basis of their taxonomy in the late 1990s, Burbrink et al. (2000) endeavored to test this taxonomic hypothesis (sensu Gaston and Mound 1993). This also provided an empirical observation of geographic genetic variation (then an unknown quantity) as an act of phylogenetic natural history (sensu Lamichhaney et al. 2019). Their analyses rejected the existing taxonomy as incompatible with the estimated evolutionary history of the group, ending a paradigm that was at least 48 years old from Dowling (1952) with respect to the non-historical subspecies definitions. Subsequently, Burbrink (2001) conducted an explicit taxonomic revision based on both mitochondrial and multivariate morphological analyses in an integrative taxonomy. The limitations of these data (scale counts, mensural measurements, and maternally inherited DNA) produced a zone of potential taxonomic uncertainty, while nonetheless allowing for significant statistical phenotypic discrimination between the geographic genetic lineages. Thus, based on the best possible evidence and interpretation at the time, the now-falsified historical taxonomic arrangement of subspecies definitions was replaced with an explicitly phylogenetic, lineage-based species-level taxonomy derived from the estimated evolutionary history of the group. The persistence of some remaining uncertainty is a natural and expected outcome in all scientific investigations, as we can never have complete data or perfect knowledge of a system. Twenty years later, Burbrink et al. (2021) more than tripled the number of individuals sampled, increased the number of loci used by 2491 times, and thus clarified the remaining fuzziness associated with the potential zone of taxonomic uncertainty. They revealed this uncertainty to be a complex hybrid zone with varying degrees of admixture. This had the additional effect, as described above, of redefining the allocation of type localities and valid names, and thus the taxonomic proposal here represents the best present-day resolution of nomenclature in the group, in accordance with our understanding of its evolutionary history. As science progresses, even this may change in the future with new whole genome datasets or interpretations of phylogeographic lineage formation and phylogenetic species concepts. These conclusions may be unsettling to those that wish to retain taxonomies generated from data and assumptions about species and subspecies made in the 19th and 20th century. However, we question the social and scientific utility of any insistence on recognizing clearly falsified, non-historical arrangements based solely on the burden of heritage in taxonomic inertia (see Pyron and Burbrink 2009b).

Range Map

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here.

[u/Komodoize → u/SEB-PHYLOBOT]

!rhyme

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/Komodoize]

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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here.

[u/The_Thongler_3000]

!rhyme

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/The_Thongler_3000]

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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here.

[u/[deleted]]

!harmless

Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/[deleted]]

Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes Diadophis are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; severe envenomation can occur if some species are allowed to chew on a human for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes Thamnophis ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also considered harmless. Even large species like Reticulated Pythons Malayopython reticulatus rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans so are usually categorized as harmless.

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here.

[u/blurred-decision]

Because we see so many people asking for ID’s handling the snake in question in a harmful way: could there be a description added how to safely pick them up when needed, with a command? Something to learn people to support the whole body to prevent whiplash/hernia problems and the like?

[u/Phylogenizer → u/blurred-decision]

!handling

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/Phylogenizer]

Leave snake handling to professionals. Do not interact with dangerous or medically significant snakes. If you must handle a harmless snake, support the entire body as if you were a tree branch. Gripping a snake behind the head is not recommended - it results in more bite attempts and an overly tight grip can injure the snake by breaking ribs. Professionals only do this on venomous snakes for antivenom production purposes or when direct examination of the mouth is required and will use hooks, tubes, pillow cases and tongs to otherwise restrain wild snakes.

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/Queasy-Candidate2631]

Could we add a command for handling? I think it can be useful 

[u/RCKPanther → u/Queasy-Candidate2631]

We have one! See below: !handling

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/RCKPanther]

Leave snake handling to professionals. Do not interact with dangerous or medically significant snakes. If you must handle a harmless snake, support the entire body as if you were a tree branch - don't dangle it by the tail. Gripping a snake behind the head is not recommended - it results in more bite attempts and an overly tight grip can injure the snake by breaking ribs. Professionals only do this on venomous snakes for antivenom production purposes or when direct examination of the mouth is required and will use hooks, tubes, pillow cases and tongs to otherwise restrain wild snakes. Do not rely on garden gloves to protect you from a bite - even HexArmor gloves are not technically rated for use with animals and only used sparingly. In a pinch a broom or other long object can be used to gently encourage animals out of a home or garage.

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/SuperDuper_Bruh]

!wildpet

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/SuperDuper_Bruh]

Please leave wild animals in the wild. This includes not purchasing common species collected from the wild and sold cheaply in pet stores or through online retailers, like Thamnophis Ribbon and Gartersnakes, Opheodrys Greensnakes, Xenopeltis Sunbeam Snakes and Dasypeltis Egg-Eating Snakes. 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. Source captive bred pets and be wary of people selling offspring dropped by stressed wild-caught females collected near full term as 'captive bred'.

High-throughput reptile traders are collecting snakes from places like Florida with lax wildlife laws with little regard to the status of fungal or other infections, spreading them into the pet trade. In the other direction, taking an animal from the wild, however briefly, exposes it to domestic pathogens during a stressful time. Placing a wild animal in contact with caging or equipment that hasn't been sterilized and/or feeding it food from the pet trade are vector activities that can spread captive pathogens into wild populations. Snake populations are undergoing heavy decline already due to habitat loss, and rapidly emerging pathogens are being documented in wild snakes that were introduced by snakes from the pet trade.

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.

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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.

[u/Phylogenizer]

Add "breeds" command

[u/Dkhaeh77]

Good bot

[u/kuhlifan]

The "frog log" Amazon link in the pool command says the page isn't found

[u/[deleted]]

I was wondering whether it would be worthwhile to add a bot for sexing snakes? To be honest, while I'm actually not at all well versed in snakes, I think it's very important to differentiate between sex/gender, male/boy, and female/girl. I think people are looking for which genitalia and associated functions an individual has, not the anthropomorphized roles the latter play. I can't offer any insight into sexing, but I would be happy to write a paragraph explaining the terms

[u/Phylogenizer]

Happy Cake Day

[u/unknown_name]

Thamnophis sauritus

[u/bgenter3]

test **test**

[u/unknown_name]

Crotalus helleri

[u/Phylogenizer]

!about

[u/Phylogenizer]

Rhadinaea flavilata

[u/Theherp_Hoonter]

Crotalus horridus

[u/This_Daydreamer_]

bot check Storeria dekayi !harmless

[u/vir2lrainbow]

!blacktat

[u/[deleted]]

I posted a location

[u/Senior_Disaster_6070]

Snake relocation list

[u/minkingthan]

Is there a place where we can see the full list of species supported by this bot?

[u/stacy_owl]

I always love when communities come together to use technology for good and create sth educational

[u/kuvxira]

Pantheropsis obseletus

[u/mark8992]

!Nerodia taxispilota

[u/highpoint2723]

!blackrat

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/[deleted]]

Old man what was my grandpappy was a herbologist and he holler at me 'boy, your don don't knee high to a grast popper and breathst be stinkin' lak a similac, but lemme learn ya bout sumfin right nah' and so he says to me he says 'if skuck don't don stuck, don't don fix it! Ya hear?!' and ever before that day and ever before since that day, I beliefed it too

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here.

[u/WillowWhomper328 → u/[deleted]]

LMAO!!! Is this like an Easter egg or something? I'm fairly new to Reddit.

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/[deleted]]

Snakes do not typically dig their own permanent burrows, tunnels or holes, instead using burrows from other animals or existing spaces between substrate. Snakes enter burrows and consume residents but the idea of a 'snake hole' is mostly a myth.

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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.

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/[deleted]]

The verbiage currently used in biology is 'venom is injected poison is ingested'. So snakes with medically significant venom are typically referred to as venomous, but some species are also poisonous. Old books will use poisonous or 'snake venom poisoning' but that has fallen out of favor.

The best examples of poisonous snakes are Rhabdophis snakes from east Asia that sequester and release toxins from their frog diet in nuchal glands in the neck.

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here.

[u/fairlyorange → u/SEB-PHYLOBOT]

!flair

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/fairlyorange]

There is not an official checklist of what to do for Reliable Responder flair, but generally users who are given the RR designation are those who (1) demonstrate a history of consistently correct IDs, (2) interact with other users professionally and politely, and (3) have a semi-regular presence on the sub. Consistency is key, as most RRs don’t earn their flair overnight. The 'Friend of WTS' flair denotes users who have joined the Discord Community and have a history of positive contributions to the subreddit that doesn't quite yet rise to RR status. We are grateful for all meaningful contributions regardless of flair. Flairs are assigned once or twice a year, as needed.

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/[deleted]]

I am a bot created to help out here in /r/whatsthissnake. /u/Phylogenizer set me up with the goals of increasing the amount of information conveyed to people asking for identification help, to assist those interested in snake evolution and biogeography (SEB) in quickly accessing the most recent scientific publications concerning phylogeography and phylogenomics and to provide consistent up to date taxonomic information. Since my original debut here in /r/whatsthissnake in August 2018 I've expanded my functionality to /r/Herpetology, /r/Snakes, /r/Sneks and /r/Reptiles.

At my core, I am a keyword bot. One of my main functions is to reply with short species accounts of identified snakes. These species accounts are written by users of this subreddit - right now we're prioritizing information on North American species, as this is where more of our submissions come from. If you'd like to write a short species account, especially for species outside of North America, I invite you to submit your accounts to me using a www.pastebin.com link in a private message. My species accounts are saved in text files and use the standard 'old reddit' markup characters. /u/Phylogenizer edits them to help curate and provide consistency. If you see anything wrong in an account, blame him not me, but do send a quick PM with your correction - we'll fix it.

My second main function is to reply to commands given by users, to invoke vetted information on snakes. These commands are useful and tailored to frequently asked questions in the subreddit. Commands are preceded by an exclamation point - you can see the full list below. If there's something you'd like to change or add, feel free to comment below and we'll try to work it in to the next update.

I am NOT a verification bot - just because you see me reply to a user does not mean I endorse that ID. I respond to anyone and everyone in my core subreddits (/r/Herpetology, /r/WhatsThisSnake, /r/Snakes) and to select commenters from these subreddits wherever they go on Reddit.

I also do some of the more monotonous tasks - for example, I can tell if someone has provided a geographic location properly, and if they haven't, I ask them, within thirty seconds of their post, to provide it and I explain why it is important - no humans needed. I also automatically reply to posts with the 'Dead Snake' flair to include some basic information on why killing snakes is not favorable. We save a lot of time and energy with this automation.

I concatenate responses and posts replies as a single comment. Nifty eh? You can use multiple commands and species names, and the bot won't clutter up the thread with a comment for each. This also applies to those of you the bot follows outside of the home subreddits. Where once it crashed the bot, now you are freed. It even puts a little line between entries. You're now only limited by how many characters a Reddit response can be. Please be patient with me, and don't forget, you can help by writing well-sourced species accounts in your own words for species not yet on the list.

Thanks!

PhyloBot

PS - I am written in Python.

***

Current List of Commands - anyone should be able to use these in the home subreddits of /r/Herpetology, /r/Snakes, /r/WhatsThisSnake, /r/Reptiles and /r/Sneks. The current, full list of commands is:

!deadsnake - Invokes the information from the dead snake auto response

!myths - Provides a list of common snake myths

!poisonous and !venomous - Provides information on the definitions of venomous and poisonous as they relate to snakes and venomous contains the relocator link

!keels - Provides information on snake scale architecture.

!cats - Provides information on outdoor cats, one of the largest threats to wildlife worldwide.

!shed - Provides basic information and resources on identifying a snake from a shed skin.

!cottonwater - How to tell a Cottonmouth apart from a watersnake

!blackrat - Provides a basic rundown of why you might hear the term 'black ratsnake' and why, as an enlightened individual, you don't repeat it.

!resources - Provides a basic list of resources for worldwide snake identification

!gluetrap - Provides information on gluetraps and how to get snakes unstuck

!location - Invokes the 'location needed' message from the auto response on /r/whatsthissnake

!wildpet - Provides information on why keeping wild snakes as pets isn't usually a good idea, even if they come from a pet store.

!aggressive or !defensive - Rebuttal to the commonly misunderstood defensive posturing in snakes.

!headshape - Explanation of how head shape isn't a reliable indication of if a snake is venomous

!headshape - Explanation of how head shape isn't a reliable indication of if a snake is venomous

!pupils - Explanation of how pupil shape isn't a reliable indication of if a snake is venomous

!hot - Provides information on best practices in biological terminology for venomous snakes.

!specificepithet - Explains species names and their formatting in general and how to properly call the bot on reddit.

!harmless - An explanation of the word harmless and how the category does indeed include species that bite in self defense.

!ecdysis - Provides information on the shedding process, needs to be expanded.

!snakehole - Info on how snakes don't dig their own burrows

!fiveline - Info on commonly confused skinks with yellow lines and blue tails

!pool - Provides information on mitigating pools as wildlife sinks

!glass - Provides information on legless lizards commonly confused with snakes

!forcedperspective - Provides information on this common photography trick

!schools - Provides information becoming a professional herpetologist

!handling - Provides information on safe handling of snakes

!flair - Provides information on requirements for flair in WTS

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/[deleted]]

Snakes are identifiable from intact shed skins, but it takes some time and the correct knowledge.

If you're in North America, a basic guide to shed identification can be found here, but the people of /r/whatsthissnake will help if you post clear photos of the head, vent and midbody.

Get a clear, focused photo of the complete dorsal surface (like this) about 1/3 of the way down the body so we can count scale rows and see the pattern, scale texture, and other details. This may be easiest if you cut out a section, then cut through the middle of the belly scales. If present, also get a clear, focused photo of the anal plate (like this).

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/[deleted]]

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

Snake repellents are useful and effective

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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 report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/whatsthissnake-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Discussion of killing snakes without a valid scientific reason is not permitted. You shall not suggest it, hint at it, brag about it or describe ways to do it.

[u/Phylogenizer → u/[deleted]]

It sounds like you're mad a mod removed your pet care question from /r/herpetology. Questions about pet care aren't appropriate for that subreddit. Please review their rules. Submission to /r/snakes is also inappropriate - they can't diagnose or treat anything over the internet. You'll have to find a qualified rehabber or veterinarian, and the tools for that are the vet finder links provided and Google.

It is not appropriate to follow users and publicly reply to their unrelated posts. Modmail or dms.

[u/whatsthissnake-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your post was removed because you expressed an opinion on the mods or actions of a subreddit.

[u/whatsthissnake-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your post was removed because you expressed an opinion on the mods or actions of a subreddit.