Redstripe ribbon snake
| Redstripe ribbon snake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Thamnophis |
| Species: | T. proximus |
| Subspecies: | T. p. rubrilineatus |
| Trinomial name | |
| Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus Rossman, 1963 | |
The redstripe ribbon snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus) is a subspecies of the western ribbon snake, a garter snake endemic to the southern United States.
Geographic range
It is found in West Texas on the Edwards Plateau.[1]
Description
This species has a distinctive red stripe down the center of the back, to which both the common name and the subspecific name refer.
Habitat and behavior
It is semiaquatic, spending most of its time on the edge of permanent bodies of water in swamps, ponds, lakes, or slow-moving streams. It is fast-moving, and an excellent swimmer.
Diet
Its primary diet is amphibians, such as the northern cricket frog (Acris crepitans), but it will also consume lizards, and small rodents.
References
- Species Thamnophis proximus at The Reptile Database
- ↑ Conant, R. (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin. Boston. xviii + 429 pp. (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus, p. 166, Plate 23, Map 120.)
Further reading
- Rossman, D.A. (1963). The Colubrid Snake Genus Thamnophis: A Revision of the sauritus Group. Bull. Florida State Mus. Biol. Sci. 7(3):99-178.
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