Thamnophis proximus explained
Thamnophis proximus, commonly known as the western ribbon snake or western ribbonsnake, is a species of garter snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is found in the central and southern United States, Mexico, and Central America south to central Costa Rica. The species has six recognized subspecies.
Description
T. proximus is a slender snake with a very long tail, approximately one-third of the total length of the body. Dorsally, T. proximus is blackish, brown, or olive with three light-colored stripes. Ventrally, it is greenish-white or yellowish-white. The upper labials are whitish and unmarked, contrasting with the dark top and sides of the head.[1] The specific name, proximus, describes the species' similarity to T. saurita.[2]
Adults measure 17– in total length (including the tail).[3]
Subspecies
Six subspecies of the western ribbon snake (T. proximus) are recognized as being valid, including the nominate subspecies.
- T. p. alpinus – Chiapas Highlands ribbon snake
- T. p. diabolicus – arid land ribbon snake
- T. p. orarius – Gulf Coast ribbon snake
- T. p. proximus – orangestripe ribbon snake, western ribbon snake
- T. p. rubrilineatus – redstripe ribbon snake
- T. p. rutiloris – Mexican ribbon snake
Nota bene
A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Thamnophis.
Ecology
T. proximus is a semiaquatic snake that occurs in a wide range of habitats, usually not far from water. It can be found from sea level to nearly 2500m (8,200feet). It feeds on a range of invertebrates (earthworms, crayfish) and small vertebrates (lizards, fishes, and frogs, including tadpoles).
Further reading
- Behler JL, King FW (1979). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 743 pp. . (Thamnophis proximus, pp. 670–671 + Plates 531, 544).
- Conant R (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. (Illustrated by Isabelle Hunt Conant). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. xviii + 429 pp. + Plates 1-48. (hardcover), (paperback). (Thamnophis proximus, pp. 165–166 + Plate 23 + Map 120).
- 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. (Thamnophis sauritus proximus, pp. 122–123 + Plate 23, figure 69A).
- Powell R, Conant R, Collins JT (2016). Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiv + 494 pp., 47 Plates, 207 Figures. . (Thamnophis proximus, pp. 428–429 + Plate 42).
- Rossman DA (1963). "The Colubrid Snake Genus Thamnophis: A Revision of the sauritus Group". Bulletin of the Florida State Museum 7 (3): 99–178.
- Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. (paperback), (hardcover). (Thamnophis proximus, pp. 146–147).
External links
Notes and References
- [Karl Patterson Schmidt|Schmidt KP]
- Rossman, Douglas A. "Thamnophis proximus." (1970).
- [Albert Hazen Wright|Wright AH]
