Pantherophis gloydi
Pantherophis gloydi, commonly known as the eastern foxsnake or eastern fox snake, is a species of rat snake in the family Colubridae. The species is nonvenomous and is endemic to the eastern Great Lakes region of the United States, as well as adjacent western Ontario in Canada. "Pantherophis gloydi" is sometimes considered a distinct species and sometimes considered a junior synonym of the species "Pantherophis vulpinus". Etymology. The specific name, "gloydi", is in honor of American herpetologist Howard K. Gloyd. Speciation. Between about 1990 and 2011, foxsnakes were sometimes divided into two species, with "P. gloydi" as the  eastern foxsnake and "P. vulpinus" as the western foxsnake. A 2011 paper by Crother, White, Savage, Eckstut, Graham and Gardner proposed instead that the Mississippi River be established as the species boundary between two species of foxsnakes, and that those found to its east be considered "P. vulpinus" (including those previously known as "P. gloydi") and those found to its west be given the new name "P. ramspotti". Habitat. "P. gloydi" is found in marshes and other wetlands, as well as in adjacent fields and meadows. Geographic range. "P. gloydi" is found in the eastern Great Lakes region. Both "P.  gloydi" and "P. vulpinus" live in the state of Michigan. "P. vulpinus" lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where it is sometimes known as the pine snake, and "P. gloydi" lives in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. "P. gloydi" can also be found in Ohio in the United States, and in Western Ontario in Canada. Status. "P. gloydi" is considered threatened over most of its range due to habitat loss. Numbers have plummeted because of the development of wetlands and coastal habitat. Its numbers have also fallen due to collection for the pet trade. "P. gloydi" is often misidentified  as the copperhead, "Agkistrodon contortrix" or as the massasauga, "Sistrurus catenatus". "P. gloydi" often rattles its tail similar to rattlesnakes as a form of mimicry. This behavior also contributes to its decline in numbers, as many people fear that the snake may be venomous. In Ohio, "P. gloydi" is listed as a "Species of Concern" by the Ohio Division of Wildlife. In Michigan it is listed as a "Threatened Species" by the DNR and is protected by state law. In Ontario the species is listed as "Threatened Provincially and Nationally". Diet and behavior. A powerful constrictor, "P. gloydi" will consume  a variety of small mammals and birds. It has been hypothesized that it will also consume amphibians, but this has not been well documented. "P. gloydi" will occasionally wiggle its tail, rustling leaves, to ward off potential predators. This is a form of mimicry. The sound resembles that of a rattlesnake. When threatened, it also may coil and, if it continues to feel threatened, strike. Reproduction. Like all reptiles, "P. gloydi" reproduces sexually and is an r-strategists according to r/K selection theory. An adult female may lay between 7 and 29 eggs, which generally hatch after about 60  days. Eggs are usually laid under logs, or in rotting wood or humus. Conservation. Education may be the best form of conservation for "P. gloydi". Being able to differentiate between this species and venomous ones, such as the copperhead or the massasauga, may greatly reduce misidentification cases and subsequent deaths of the snake. Further reading.