Fox snake is the common name given to two species of North American rat snakes. Neither poses a threat to humans, but it is killed by many people who mistake it for the Massasauga rattlesnake, which shares parts of its geographical range with the fox snake and is slightly venomous.
The eastern fox snake (Elaphe gloydi) is uncommon throughout its restricted range in Ontario, Michigan and Ohio where it is found only near Lakes Huron and Erie. The western fox snake (Elaphe vulpina) occurs in the open forests, prairies, and farmlands of western Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, and South Dakota. Their ranges do not overlap.
Read more about Fox Snake: Taxonomy, Behavior, Reproduction, Conservation Status
Famous quotes containing the words fox and/or snake:
“We follow where the Swamp Fox guides,
His friends and merry men are we;
And when the troop of Tarleton rides,
We burrow in the cypress tree.
The turfy hammock is our bed,
Our home is in the red deer’s den,
Our roof, the tree-top overhead,
For we are wild and hunted men.”
—William Gilmore Simms (1806–1872)
“Even in a bamboo tube, a snake still wants to wiggle.”
—Chinese proverb.