Dryland banded snake
| Dryland banded snake | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Thamnophis proximus diabolicus | ||||||||||||
| ( Rossman , 1963) |
The dry land tapes Natter ( Thamnophis proximus diabolicus ) is a subspecies of the Western bands Natter ( Thamnophis proximus ) and counts within the family of snakes (Colubridae) to the genus Gartersnakes ( Thamnophis ). The subspecies was first described in 1963 by the American herpetologist Douglas A. Rossman.
features
As a rule, the dryland banded snake reaches a length of 61 to 91 cm, whereby a specimen measuring 123.2 cm has also been documented. The body is slender and gray-olive to olive-brown in color. Unusually dark specimens of this subspecies are known from tributaries of the Canadian River in the northwest Texas Panhandle . There is a narrow orange-colored stripe along the back and on the side of it (on the 3 and 4 rows of back scales above the belly) a further, yellowish-white longitudinal band, which tapers towards the tail and is bordered by small, black lines on the sides. Sometimes another narrow, dark stripe appears above the abdomen. The top of the head is marked with a few small, light spots. The shields of the upper lip ( scutum supralabiale ) and the shields of the lower lip ( scutum sublabiale ) are light-colored and have no markings. Arranged over the middle of the body are 19 rows of keeled back scales ( scutum dorsale ). The scales on the ventral side ( scutum ventrale ) are light, pale and not marked. The anal shield ( scutum anale ) is undivided.
Like all garter snakes, this subspecies also reproduces through ovoviviparia .
Occurrence
Thamnophis proximus diabolicus is distributed in the central south, in the southwest and partly in the west of Texas , in Midland an isolated population is known. In addition to the north-east of Mexico , the north of Texas (Texas Panhandle) and the north-east and south-east of New Mexico are still specified as the distribution area within the USA .
habitat
In the Trans-Pecos region in western Texas there is a barren, dry landscape with an arid climate . Thamnophis proximus diabolicus is tied to bodies of water in these areas, primarily due to its diet, and is found at the edges of rivers, ponds and streams, but also near artificial water sources such as irrigation channels and water tanks for grazing cattle. The separate populations in the Texas Panhandle along the Canadian River system, more than 400 km away, live in the plains of the prairie .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Roger Conant , Joseph T. Collins: A field guide to reptiles & amphibians: eastern and central North America. Peterson Field Guides. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston 1998, ISBN 978-0-395-90452-7 .
Literature and Sources
- James R. Dixon, John E. Werler: Texas Snakes - A Field Guide. Texas Natural History Guides. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas 2005, ISBN 978-0-292-70675-0 .
Web links
- calphotos.berkeley.edu: photo