Hypsiglena torquata jani

Taxobox
name = Texas Night Snake
status = LC

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regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Serpentes
familia = Colubridae
genus = "Hypsiglena"
species = "H. torquata"
subspecies = "H. t. jani"
trinomial = "Hypsiglena torquata jani"
trinomial_authority = Dugés, 1860

The Texas Night Snake ("Hypsiglena torquata jani") is a species of small colubrid snake native to the southern United States and Mexico. The epithet "jani" is in honor of taxonomist Georg Jan.

Description

The Texas Night Snake grows from 10 to 16 inches (25 to 40 cm) in length. It is typically a light grey or tan in color, with dark brown or dark grey blotching down the back and an unmarked underside. They have smooth scales, eyes with vertically elliptical pupils, and are considered to be rear-fanged venomous, though they are not dangerous to humans.

Behavior

As their common name implies, they are a primarily nocturnal snake. Their diet consists of primarily lizards, but they will also eat smaller snakes and occasionally soft bodied insects. They prefer semi-arid habitats with rocky soils. They are an oviparous species that breed in the spring rainy season, laying 4-6 eggs that take approximately 8 weeks to incubate before hatching.

Geographic range

The Texas Night Snake ranges from southern Kansas to southern Colorado, and south throughout New Mexico, the western half of Texas to central Mexico.

References

*EMBL species|genus=Hypsiglena|species=torquata
* [http://www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/snakes/hypsiglena.torquata.html Herps of Texas: "Hypsiglena torquata"]