Nerodia clarkii

Salt Marsh Snake
mangrove salt marsh snake Nerodia clarkii compressicauda
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Subfamily:	Natricinae
Genus:	Nerodia
Species:	N. clarkii
Binomial name
Nerodia clarkii (Baird & Girard, 1853)
Synonyms
Regina clarkii Baird & Girard, 1853 Natrix clarkii Cope, 1892 Tropidonotus clarkii Boulenger, 1893 Natrix compressicauda Barbour, 1915 Natrix sipedon clarkii Schmidt & Davis, 1941 Natrix fasciata clarki Conant, 1975

The Salt Marsh Snake (Nerodia clarkii) is a species of semiaquatic, nonvenomous, colubrid snake found in the southeastern United States, in the brackish salt marshes along the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Texas, with a population in northern Cuba.

Description

Salt Marsh Snakes grow from 15 inches (38 cm) to 30 inches (76 cm) in length, and are highly variable in pattern and coloration. Populations of the Gulf salt marsh snake from the vicinity of Corpus Christi, Texas, to the Gulf Hammock region of Florida are gray, tan or yellow with four brown to black longitudinal stripes.

Populations in Florida from Tampa Bay south to Miami and northward along the Atlantic coast to the vicinity of Cape Canaveral are referred to as the mangrove salt marsh snake (N. clarkii compressicauda). This subspecies exhibits many colors and patterns and can be gray, green, or tan with darker banding or may even be solid reddish orange or straw yellow.

A third subspecies, the Atlantic Salt Marsh Snake (N. clarkii taeniata), is restricted to a small stretch of coastline in Volusia and Indian River counties. This race is smaller than the other two and has a color pattern of four dark stripes on the neck which are replaced by a serious of dark blotches or bands on the posterior portion of the snake's body. It is currently listed as a Threatened Species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Taxonomy

Some sources consider the three races of N. clarkii to be subspecies of the Southern Water Snake, Nerodia fasciata.^[1][2] Others consider not only the three races of N. clarkii, but also the species N. fasciata itself, all to be subspecies of N. sipedon.^[3][4]

Subspecies

There are three recognized subspecies of N. clarkii:

• Gulf Salt Marsh Snake, Nerodia clarkii clarkii (Baird & Girard, 1853)
• Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake, Nerodia clarkii compressicauda (Kennicott, 1860)
• Atlantic Salt Marsh Snake, Nerodia clarkii taeniata (Cope, 1895)

References

1. ^ Conant, Roger. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin. Boston.
2. ^ Smith,Hobart M. and E.D. Brodie, Jr. 1982. A Guide to Field Identification Reptiles of North America. Golden Press. New York.
3. ^ Schmidt, K.P. and D.D. Davis. 1941. Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. G.P. Putnam's Sons. New York.
4. ^ Wright, A.H. and A.A. Wright. 1957. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Comstock. Ithaca and London.

• Herps of Texas: Nerodia clarkii
• Texas Parks & Wildlife: Gulf Salt Marsh Snake

External links

• Species Nerodia clarkii at The Reptile Database

• Nerodia clarkii at the Encyclopedia of Life