Midwestern worm snake
| Midwestern worm snake | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Carphophis |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | C. a. helenae
|
| Trinomial name | |
| Carphophis amoenus helenae | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
The midwestern worm snake, Carphophis amoenus helenae, a subspecies of C. amoenus, is a nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The subspecies is endemic to the Midwest and Southern United States.[4][5]
Etymology
The subspecific name, helenae, is in honor of "Miss Helen Tennison", a misspelling of the name of Robert Kennicott's cousin Helen L. Teunisson. Tenuisson collected specimens for and with Kennicott in Mississippi.[6][7][8]
Common names
Additional common names for C. a. helenae include central twig snake, central worm snake, ground snake, Helen's snake, Helen Tennison's snake, Helen's worm snake, red snake, and worm snake.[9]
Geographic range
The subspecies C. a. helenae ranges from southern Ohio to northern Georgia in the east and from southern Illinois to eastern Louisiana in the west.[10]
Description
When adult, C. a. helenae is small and wormlike, rarely growing longer than 9.8 in (25 cm) in total length (including tail). It is plain dark brown on top and light pink on its underside.[4]
The scalation on the anterior
Behavior, diet, and habitat
The midwestern worm snake is fossorial. It spends its life burrowing in moist soil or under the leaf litter searching for soft-bodied prey, with a preference for earthworms. This secretive snake prefers mesic deciduous forest.[4][5]
References
- ^ NatureServe (5 May 2023). "Carphophis amoenus helenae". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- ^ "Carphophis amoenus helenae ". ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). www.itis.gov.
- ^ Species Carphophis amoenus at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ a b c "Midwestern Wormsnake". ODNR Division of Wildlife. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
- ^ a b "Snakes in Alabama". Outdoor Alabama. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
- ^ "Helen L Teunisson". www.familysearch.org. 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-21.
- ^ Beltz, Ellin (2006). Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America – Explained. http://ebeltz.net/herps/biogappx.html.
- ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Helen T.", p. 120.)
- ^ a b Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates, a Division of Cornell University Press. 1,105 pp. (in two volumes)., 305 figures, 70 maps. (Carphophis amoenus helenae, pp. 108-110, Figure 34 + Map 12 on p. 105).
- ^ ISBN 0-395-19977-8(paperback). (Carphophis amoenus helenae, p. 175 + Map 131).
Further reading
- ISBN 0-394-50824-6. (Carphophis amoenus helenae, p. 592).
- Conant R, Bridges W (1939). What Snake Is That? A Field Guide to the Snakes of the United States East of the Rocky Mountains. (With 108 Drawings by Edmond Malnate). New York and London: D. Appleton-Century Company. Frontispiece map + viii + 163 pp. + Plates A-C, 1-32. (Carphophis amoena helenae, p. 31 + Plate 2, figure 5A).
- Kennicott R (1859). "Notes on Coluber calligaster of Say, and a description of new species of Serpents in the collection of the North Western University of Evanston, Ill[inois]". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia [11]: 98-100. (Celuta helenæ, new species, p. 100).
- ISBN 978-0-544-12997-9. (Carphophis amoenus helenae, pp. 401-402, Figure 186).
- Schmidt KP, Davis DD (1941). Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 365 pp. (Carphophis amoena helenae, pp. 102-103).
- ISBN 0-307-47009-1(hardcover). (Carphophis amoenus helenae, p. 162).