Western shovel-nosed burrowing snake
| Western shovel-nosed burrowing snake | ||||||||||||
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Western shovel-nosed viper ( Chionactis occipitalis ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Chionactis occipitalis | ||||||||||||
| ( Hallowell , 1854) |
The Western bonnethead Wühlnatter ( Chionactis occipital ), and Western shovel nose snake or shovel nose snake is a snake from the family of snakes (Colubridae).
Taxonomy
The first scientific description of Chionactis occipitalis was carried out by the American herpetologist Edward Hallowell in 1854 and named it at that time as Rhinostoma occipitale .
Subspecies
The following subspecies are described:
- Chionactis occipitalis annulata ( Baird , 1859)
- Chionactis occipitalis klauberi ( Stickel , 1941)
- Chionactis occipitalis occipitalis ( Hallowell , 1854)
- Chionactis occipitalis talpina Klauber , 1951
features
Chionactis occipitalis reaches a length of between 25 and 42 cm with a slim but strong build. It has a head that is hardly detached from the neck with the upper jaw protruding like a shovel. There are an anterior eye shield ( Scutum praeoculare ), two posterior eye shields ( Scutum postoculare ), 7 upper lip shields ( Scutum supralabiale ), 7 to 8 lower lip shields ( Scutum sublabiale ) and 15 smooth back scales ( scutum dorsale ) arranged diagonally around the middle of the body and on the monochrome gray to greenish white ventral side 145 to 175 ventral shields ( scutum ventrale ), 30 to 50 lower tail shields arranged in two rows ( scutum subcaudale ) and an undivided anal shield ( scutum anale ). The back and flanks are basically gray-white, greenish-white or straw-yellow. The body is mostly marked by at least 21 black saddle spots and often reddish orange saddle spots in between. The head is marked on the top by a dark transverse band.
Way of life
Chionactis occipitalis leads to a large extent a way of life that digs in the sand. Even when threatened, it burrows quickly underground, with the streamlined head and smooth scales making it easier to dig. It comes to the surface at night. It feeds on arthropods such as insects , spiders , scorpions and millipedes , but also occasionally preyes on small species of lizards . The adder hibernates for 4 to 5 months, the mating season takes place between March and May. Chionactis occipitalis reproduces through oviparity , so it is egg-laying. The clutch comprises two to nine eggs. The young snakes measure 10 to 12 cm when hatching.
Occurrence
The western shovel-nosed viper occurs within the United States of America in southeastern California , southern Nevada and southwestern Arizona, as well as in Mexico in Baja California Norte and northwestern Sonora . It penetrates at heights of up to 1600 m above sea level. The populated habitats (sand dunes, deserts, rocky landscapes and the like) are characterized by an arid climate .
The IUCN Red List lists Chionactis occipitalis as “least concern”, so it is not endangered. The population is stable.
swell
- Ludwig Trutnau : Non-poisonous snakes . 4th edition. Eugen Ulmer GmbH & Co., Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-8001-3223-0 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Chionactis occipitalis in The Reptile Database
- ^ IUCN Red List: Chionactis occipitalis
