Nerodia fasciata pictiventris

Nerodia fasciata pictiventris
Florida banded water snake
Florida banded water snake
Conservation status
Not evaluated (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. fasciata
Subspecies: N. f. pictiventris
Trinomial name
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris
(Cope, 1895)
Synonyms
  • Natrix fasciata pictiventris Cope, 1895
  • Natrix sipedon pictiventris - Stejneger & Barbour, 1917
  • Natrix fasciata pictiventris - Conant, 1975
  • Nerodia fasciata pictiventris - Smith & Brodie, 1982

The Florida banded water snake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris), a subspecies of the Southern water snake (Nerodia fasciata), is a nonvenomous natricine colubrid.

Contents

Geographic range

The Florida banded water snake is endemic throughout Florida and southeastern Georgia. In addition, it has been introduced to Brownsville, Texas.[1] It has also established populations in Folsom, California (Balfour et al. 2007) and Harbor City, California (Fuller and Trevett 2006).

Description

Dorsally it is light brown or yellowish, with 26-35 reddish-brown to black crossbands. Ventrally it is yellow or white, with reddish-brown or black markings. In large adult individuals the ground color on the lower sides is sometimes darker than the crossbands, producing an appearance of alternating blotches on the back and sides.

The Florida water snake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris) differs from the Southern water snake (Nerodia f. fasciata) chiefly in the shape of the markings on the ventrals. In pictiventris these markings consist of transverse blotches, many of them enclosing an oval white spot. Whereas in fasciata they are solid squarish spots.[1]

Adults average 24 inches (61 cm) to 42 inches (110 cm) in length.

Reproduction

They are ovoviviparous. Mating occurs from March to May. The young are born from May to August, in broods of 25-57. The newborns are 180-223 mm(7-8¾ inches) in total length.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ Schmidt, K.P. and D.D. Davis. 1941. Fieldbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. G.P. Putnam's Sons. New York.
  2. ^ Wright, A.H. and A.A. Wright. 1957. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Comstock. Ithaca and London.

References

  • Balfour, P.S., E.W. Stitt, and M.M. Fuller. 2007. Nerodia fasciata pictiventris (Florida water snake). Herpetological Review 38:363
  • Fuller, M.M. and B.W. Trevett. 2006. Nerodia fasciata pictiventris (Florida water snake). Herpetological Review 37:363

External links


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