Nerodia clarkii clarkii
| Gulf salt marsh snake | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Nerodia |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | N. c. clarkii
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| Trinomial name | |
| Nerodia clarkii clarkii | |
| Synonyms | |
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Nerodia clarkii clarkii, the Gulf salt marsh snake, is a
indigenous to the south-eastern United States. It is a nonvenomous, colubrid snake that inhabits coastal salt marshes and brackish estuaries along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Texas.[1][2]
Description
The Gulf salt marsh snake is a moderately stout
dorsum that ranges from dark gray to reddish-brown with four yellowish longitudinal stripes down the body, two on each side. The belly is dark gray to reddish-brown with one to three rows of pale spots.[1][2]
Reproduction
The Gulf salt marsh snake reaches sexual maturity at three years. Females give birth to 2-44 live young that range from 17.7 to 22.8 centimetres (7.0 to 9.0 in) in total length. Their typical lifespan is up to 20 years.[1][2]
Diet
N. c. clarkii is primarily
nocturnal, preying upon small fish, crabs, shrimp, and other invertebrates that become trapped in tidal pools during low tide.[1][2]
See also
References
Further reading
- Baird SF, Girard CF (1853). Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part I.—Serpents. Washington, District of Columbia: Smithsonian Institution. xvi + 172 pp. (Regina clarkii, new species, p. 48).
- ISBN 978-0-544-12997-9. (Nerodia c. clarkii, p. 415 + Plate 40).