Texas lined snake

Texas lined snake
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Natricinae
Genus: Tropidoclonion
Species: T. lineatum
Subspecies: T. l. texanum
Trinomial name
Tropidoclonion lineatum texanum
Ramsey, 1953

The Texas lined snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum texanum) is a subspecies of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to the United States.

Geographic range

It is found in the southcentral United States, primarily in the state of Texas.[1]

Habitat

It is a relatively common fossorial subspecies, and spends most of its time buried in leaf litter.

Diet

It preys upon earthworms.[1]

Description

Texas lined snakes are typically olive green to dark brown in color, with a distinctive yellow or cream-colored stripe down the center of the back. They have small heads and small eyes. They differ from other subspecies of T. lineatum by having fewer subcaudals: 33 or fewer in females, 40 or fewer in males.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Conant, R. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin. Boston. xviii + 429 pp. ISBN 0-395-19979-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Tropidoclonion lineatum and T. l. texanum, pp. 166-167 + Plate 24 + Map 123.)
  2. Smith, H.M., and E.D. Brodie, Jr. 1982. Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. Golden Press. New York. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-13666-3 (paperback). (Tropidoclonion lineatum texanum, p. 152.)

Further reading


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