Cemophora coccinea lineri
| Cemophora coccinea lineri | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Colubrinae |
| Genus: | Cemophora |
| Species: | C. coccinea |
| Subspecies: | C. coccinea lineri |
| Trinomial name | |
| Cemophora coccinea lineri K.L. Williams, B.C. Brown & Wilson, 1966 | |
Cemophora coccinea lineri, commonly known as the Texas scarlet snake, is a subspecies of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to the United States.
Etymology
The specific name or epithet, lineri, is in honor of American zoologist Ernest A. Liner, who collected the first specimen in 1963.[1]
Geographic range
It is found in southern Texas. Its range does not overlap with other subspecies of scarlet snake.
Description
The Texas scarlet snake is the largest of the scarlet snake subspecies, and is capable of growing to a total length (body + tail) of 66 cm (26 inches). It has a gray or white background color, with distinct red blotches that have black borders. Unlike other subspecies, the black borders do not join on the sides. Its belly is a solid white or gray.
Behavior
Like all scarlet snakes, the Texas scarlet snake is a secretive burrower, spending most of its time under ground. It prefers sandy thicket habitats along the Gulf of Mexico coastline.
Diet
Its preferred diet is the eggs of other reptiles, but it will also eat small rodents and lizards.
References
- ↑ Beolens, Bo, Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson. 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Cemophora coccinea lineri, p. 159).
External links
- Species Cemophora coccinea at The Reptile Database
Further reading
- Behler, J.L., and F.W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Knopf. 743 pp. ISBN 0-394-50824-6. (Cemophora coccinea lineri, p. 593).
- Conant, R. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. ISBN 0-395-19979-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Cemophora coccinea lineri, p. 212 + Map 152).
- Williams, K.L., B.C. Brown, and L.D. Wilson. 1966. A new subspecies of the colubrid snake Cemophora coccinea (Blumenbach) from Southern Texas. Texas Journal of Science 18: 85-88. (Cemophora coccinea lineri, new subspecies).