Gray Rat Snake

The generic name Pantherophis, meaning "panther-like snake", is from : pánthēr, "panther" and : óphis, "snake". The specific name name alleghaniensis , meaning "Of the Allegheny Mountains," which refers to the Allegheny Mountains in eastern North America.

Native to North America, Pantherophis alleghaniensis is commonly found in the forests of the eastern and central United States, west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River. It occurs relatively continuously throughout the major part of the eastern half of the United States, along the Piedmont throughout Kentucky, from southwestern New England to the Gulf of Mexico, westward to the Mississippi River, and northward from northern Louisiana to southwestern Wisconsin. In Canada, this species is known to occur in two disjunct regions of southern Ontario: the Carolinian forest region along the north shore of Lake Erie in the southwest, and the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence region in the southeast.

===Diet=== A scent-hunter and a powerful constrictor, Pantherophis alleghaniensis feeds primarily on small mammals, birds, and bird eggs.

When startled, the central ratsnake, like other ratsnakes, stops and remains motionless with its body held in a series of wave-like kinks. The snake will also rattle its tail against whatever it is lying on, making an audible buzzing sound; this is intended to fool a potential threat into thinking that it has encountered a rattlesnake. The central ratsnake will defend itself by raising its head and bluffing a strike. If handled, it will musk a victim by releasing the foul-smelling contents of its cloaca, and will bite if necessary. However, the central ratsnake is less likely to bite than other members of its genus, and wounds from a bite rarely require more than a small bandage. These snakes are timid and avoid unnecessary conflict, some studies suggest that the stress from capture and restraint is as physiologically demanding as intensive breeding displays. Central ratsnakes are preyed upon by kingsnakes. Kingsnakes are smaller but have a stronger constriction ability than ratsnakes and are able to overpower the ratsnakes.

Breeding in P. alleghaniensis takes place from April to July. Females reach sexual maturity at 7–9 years of age. They deposit 5 to 27 eggs around mid-summer, and the hatchlings usually emerge in September.

The central ratsnake is considered common across much of its range, but is listed as "of special concern" in Michigan and is also listed as rare in Wisconsin. The central ratsnake is listed federally in Canada as "endangered" (Carolinean population) and "threatened" (Great Lakes – St. Lawrence population). Habitat destruction and road mortality are leading causes of decline.