Baird's Rat Snake, Pantherophis bairdi (Yarrow, 1880) inhabits southwestern Texas from the Edward's Plateau southward to Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Average body size (SVL) is about one meter.

Great Plains Rat Snake, Pantherophis emoryi (Baird & Girard, 1853). This species ranges from southern Illinois, westward to Kansas and Colorado and southward to New Mexico, Texas and northern Mexico as far south as Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. The distribution is not continuous.

The Corn Snake or Red Rat Snake, Pantherophis guttatus Linnaeus, 1766. This species inhabits the southeastern USA from southern New Jersey to the Florida Keys and westward to eastern Texas. The norther portion of the range has disjunct populations, and the populations west of the mississippi are also disjunct. It uses a variety of habitats that range from pine forests to farmlands. The top photo is an animal from central Florida. The snake hatching is from a captive, and the bottom photo is an albino specimen captive bred. Corn snakes are popular in the pet trade and are well on their way to being domesticated. Maximum length is about 1.8 m.

Yellow Rat Snake, Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata (Holbrook, 1836). Photographed in Gainesville, Florida. This race inhabits the Atlantic coastal plain from North Carolina to the tip of peninsular Florida.

The Gray Rat Snake, Pantherophis spiloides Dumeril, Bibron & Dumeril, 1854. Top photo taken in Union County, Illinois. Two bottom photographs of captive animals. The Gray Rat Snake occurs from southern Onatrio, Canada to the Gulf Coast east of the Mississippi River.

The Western Fox Snake Pantherophis vulpinus Baird & Girard, 1853. Photographed in Will County, Illinois, it is feeding on a Peromyscus maniculatus. This is a northern prairie species that uses open habitats including agricultural areas. Bottom: Pantherophis vulpinus hatching.