Chain snake

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Chain snake
Eastern chain snake (Lampropeltis getula getula)

Eastern chain snake ( Lampropeltis getula getula )

Systematics
Subordination : Snakes (serpentes)
Superfamily : Adder-like and viper-like (Colubroidea)
Family : Adders (Colubridae)
Subfamily : True snakes (Colubrinae)
Genre : King snakes ( Lampropeltis )
Type : Chain snake
Scientific name
Lampropeltis getula
( Linnaeus , 1766)

The Kingsnake ( Lampropeltis getula ) even chain kingsnake is a snake from the family of snakes , which in the United States and Mexico occurs.

features

The chain snake is a snake about 150 centimeters, at most about two meters long. Their head is oval and barely set off from the neck. The pupil of the big eye is round. The basic color is black with light markings that differ depending on the subspecies . The transitions are fluid, however, and hybridizations between the subspecies often occur, which makes the exact delimitation according to morphological criteria difficult.

The nominate form ( L. g. Getula ) has 15 to 44 cross bars of white to yellowish color, which combine to form a chain-like pattern. The ventral side is spotted or banded. The head has six to eight supralabial shields and nine, rarely ten infralabial shields . The trunk has 21, very rarely 23 inclined rows of scales , 203 to 238 ventral shields , 38 to 58 sub-caudal shields and an undivided anal shield in the middle .

The California chain snake ( L. g. Californiae ) is dark brown to black with white or yellow cross bars. One color variant has a longitudinal band in the center of the back of the same color as the cross band. The snakes of the genus Lampropeltis are now available in numerous color forms. In addition to natural mutations such as albinos, crossbreeds also breed melanistic and hypomelanistic animals. Specimens with a particularly high proportion of yellow are also referred to as "Banana Kingsnakes / Banana Phase". The color forms Desert Phase, Golden Albino and Lavender are also known. There are both ringed and longitudinally striped specimens of Lampropeltis getula californiae.

Black desert chain snake ( Lampropeltis getula nigrita )

The Black Kingsnake ( L. g. Nigra ) and the Black Desert Kingsnake ( L. g. Nigrita ) are almost completely black with yellow speckles on the individual scales.

In the Florida chain snake ( L. g. Floridanus ) the scales have a bright center. The banding becomes indistinct in this subspecies with increasing age.

In the spotted chain snake ( L. g. Holbrooki ) the banding is only indicated, but the individual scales are spotted whitish to greenish.

distribution

The chain snake is found in the eastern and southeastern states of the United States and Mexico . It inhabits forests, scrub, cultivated land or slopes with hiding places from the plain up to 800 meters above sea level.

Way of life

Chain snakes live hidden and seldom move far from their hiding place. If they cannot escape during an attack, they can splash a smelly liquid. Small mammals, birds, young turtles, lizards and other snakes (even poisonous species) that are strangled serve as prey.

In cooler climates, chain snakes hibernate for three to six months. Mating then takes place in spring. From June to August the clutches of three to thirty eggs are laid, from which the 25 to 30 centimeter long young hatch after two to four months.

Systematics

California chain snake ( Lampropeltis getula californiae )

Lampropeltis getula is the oldest described Getula species. Because of its drawing, it was also called the chain king snake in the past. In 1766 LINNÈ called it Coluber getulus. The taxonomic classification has changed several times since then. Lampropeltis getula has been subject to species status since 2009 and has been grouped with subspecies such as “floridana (brooksi)”, “meansi” and “getula getula”.

By then several subspecies had been described:

So there are only three subspecies left.

Lampropeltis californiae spreads in Gran Canaria and endangers the native lizard world.

swell

  1. ^ Lampropeltis getula , entry at ITIS
  2. ↑ https://www.focus.de/wissen/natur/tiere-und-pflanzen/gran-canaria-sie-haben-bis-zu-zwei-meter-lang-schlangen-invasion-auf-beliebter-ferieninsel_id_10358958.html

literature

  • H. Seufer & H. Jauch: The chain snake Lampropeltis getulus. In: Herpetofauna. 2 (6), 1980, pp. 11-14.
  • R. Thissen and H. Hansen: Königsnattern. Lampropeltis. 1st edition. Natur und Tier-Verlag, 1996, ISBN 3-9315-8723-1 .
  • D. Schmidt Adders of the genus Lampropeltis in the terrarium. In: Reptilia. 29, 2001, pp. 28-35.
  • D. Schmidt The chain snake: Lampropeltis getula. 1st edition. Natur und Tier-Verlag, 2004, ISBN 3-9372-8503-2 .

Web links

Commons : Chain Snake ( Lampropeltis getula )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files