Pantherophis flavirufus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	REPTILIA	SQUAMATA	COLUBRIDAE

Scientific Name:

Pantherophis flavirufus

Species Authority:

(Cope, 1867)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Yellow-red Rat Snake

Synonym/s:

Coluber flavirufus Cope, 1867

Elaphe flavirufa

Pseudelaphe flavirufa (Cope, 1867)

Taxonomic Notes:

The subspecies Pantherophis flavirufa phaescens on the northern Yucatan peninsula is considered a full species by some, but here it is treated as a subspecies following Lee (2000) based on the synonymy by Liner (1994).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2007
Assessor/s	Lee, J.
Evaluator/s:	Cox, N., Chanson, J.S. & Stuart, S.N. (Global Reptile Assessment Coordinating Team)
Justification: Listed as Least Concern because it is widespread, has a presumed large population, and because it is not declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs discontinuously at low elevations on the Atlantic slope of Mexico from central Tamaulipas and eastern San Luis Potosi, to Veracruz southward to Tabasco and Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatan, and then in to northern and central Belize and an isolated locality in northern Oaxaca, Mexico. It continues southwards to northern Honduras, and is also found on Corn Island, Nicaragua. It has been recorded from sea level up to 500 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Belize; Guatemala; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua

Range Description:

This species occurs discontinuously at low elevations on the Atlantic slope of Mexico from central Tamaulipas and eastern San Luis Potosi, to Veracruz southward to Tabasco and Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatan, and then in to northern and central Belize and an isolated locality in northern Oaxaca, Mexico. It continues southwards to northern Honduras, and is also found on Corn Island, Nicaragua. It has been recorded from sea level up to 500 m asl.

Countries:

Native:

Belize; Guatemala; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua

Population [top]

Population:	It is an uncommon species, and its population appears to be declining in Quintana Roo in Mexico.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It occurs in lowland areas of tropical semi-deciduous forests and thorn forests. It can also occur in degraded and secondary forest.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Deforestation for agriculture and logging is a threat in parts of the species' range.

Major Threat(s):

Deforestation for agriculture and logging is a threat in parts of the species' range.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Several populations occur in protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

Several populations occur in protected areas.

Citation:	Lee, J. 2007. Pantherophis flavirufus. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 November 2009.
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