Crowned black head snake
Crowned black head snake | ||||||||||||
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![]() Tantilla coronata |
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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Scientific name | ||||||||||||
Tantilla coronata | ||||||||||||
Baird & Girard , 1853 |
The crowned black-headed snake ( Tantilla coronata ), also known as the crowned black-headed snake, is a small snake in the subfamily of the real snake (Colubrinae).
features
The species reaches a total length of up to 33 cm. It is covered with brownish scales on the upper side , while whitish scales, occasionally with a yellow or pink shade, appear on the underside. The specific epithet coronata refers to a cream-colored band on the back of the head that resembles a crown. The front areas of the head are black and the light band is followed by a wider black band that also covers the neck. The head has a slightly flattened shape and is only slightly wider than the neck.
distribution
The crowned blackhead snake lives in the southeastern United States . It reaches Kentucky and Virginia in the north and eastern Louisiana in the west . This adder usually stays in rather drier open stands of trees, whereby the ground is preferably covered with stones, fallen branches and tree stumps. She continues to visit swamps, marshland , river banks, and grasslands.
Way of life
During the day the individuals rest under stones, in cavities between roots or in other hiding places. At night they mostly hunt invertebrates such as earthworms, spiders, as well as insects and their larvae. Occasionally, the crowned black head snake prey on a smaller lizard .
The development of male sperm and female ovulation do not occur synchronously. While the eggs are ready for fertilization in June or July, the male sperm cells do not emerge until late summer. This is not a problem for a mating in autumn. However, some of the sperm remains in the male reproductive tract for another mating in the spring. The sperm cells are then stored in the female's body until the next ovulation. A clutch consists of 2 to 5 oval eggs. Offspring about 7.5 cm long hatch from these. Sexual maturity occurs quite late after about 3 years.
Like other small reptiles in North America, the crowned black-headed snake has received a new enemy in the form of the red fire ant ( Solenopsis invicta ). This was introduced in the 1930s.
Reference literature
- Tennant, Alan (Ed.): Snakes of North America . Taylor Trade Publishing, 2003, pp. 38-40 (English, Tantilla coronata ).
Web links
- Tantilla coronata in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: Hammerson, GA, 2007. Accessed May 29, 2017th
- Tantilla coronata in The Reptile Database