|
Redstripe Ribbon Snake
|
- Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles)
- Suborder: Serpentes (snakes)
- Family: Colubridae ("typical" snakes)
- Subfamily: Natricinae (garter and water snakes)
- Genus: Thamnophis (garter and ribbon
snakes)
|
| Also Known As: Western
Ribbon Snake (common name for all T. proximus) |
Scientific Name: Thamnophis
proximus rubrilineatus Rossman, 1963 |
| Habitat: Wetlands,
predominantly near standing or moving water sources. |
Thamnos="bush," ophis="snake,"
proximus="nearest," rubra="red,"
lineatus="lined"
|
| Length: Up to 4 feet
long. |
|
| Food: Fish, frogs, and
tadpoles. |
 |
|
This snake was found by Erik
and me on 22 March 2003 in a vacant lot in San Antonio. It
was sheltered under a pile of discarded shingles. |
 |
| It's easy to see how this
subspecies of the Western Ribbon Snake got its name--the dorsal
stripe is bright red. This individual was a little over 2
feet long. Ribbon snakes are in the same genus as garter
snakes, but can be distinguished by the pure white coloring around
the mouth (which garter snakes don't have), and the fact that
ribbons are typically more slender than the "stocky"
garter snakes. |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
