Drymarchon melanurus erebennus
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2011) |
Drymarchon melanurus erebennus | |
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Texas indigo snake | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Colubridae |
Genus: | Drymarchon |
Species: | |
Subspecies: | D. m. erebennus
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Trinomial name | |
Drymarchon melanurus erebennus (Cope, 1860)
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Synonyms[2] | |
Drymarchon melanurus erebennus, commonly known as the Texas indigo snake, is a subspecies of large, nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The subspecies is native to Texas in the United States and adjacent Mexico.
Geographic range
D. m. erebennus is found from southern Texas south into Mexico as far as Veracruz.
Description
Habitat
The Texas indigo snake prefers lightly vegetated areas not far from permanent water sources, but is also found in mesquite savannah, open grassland areas, and coastal sand dunes. It dens in burrows left by other animals.
Behavior and diet
D. m. erebennus is
Reproduction
Breeding of D. m. erebennus takes place, generally yearly, in the winter. Clutches that average 10–12 eggs are laid in the spring, and hatch around 80 days later. Hatchlings can be up to 26 in (66 cm) long. Maturity is reached in 2–3 years.
Conservation
The Texas indigo snake is listed as a threatened species by the state of Texas.[5] Its primary threat is from habitat loss due to human development. Each snake requires a large home range to forage, and urban sprawl is shrinking its usable habitat. Roads bisect its territory, and many snakes each year are run over by cars.
References
- ^ https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103475/Drymarchon_melanurus_erebennus
- ^ Drymarchon melanurus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
- ISBN 978-0-292-79130-5.
- ^ "Texas Indigo Snake". Texas Tech University. Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
- ^ "Drymarchon melanurus erebennus Texas Indigo Snake". NatureServe Explorer. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
Further reading
- Werler, John E.; ISBN 978-0292791305. (Texas indigo snake, pp. 98–102).
- Crother BI, Boundy J, Frost D, Green DM, Highton R, et al. (2003). "Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico: Update". Herpetological Review 34: 196–203.