Nerodia clarkii clarkii, the Gulf salt marsh snake, is a subspecies of N. clarkii that is indigenous to the south-eastern United States. It is a nonvenomous, colubrid snake that inhabits coastal salt marshes and brackish estuaries along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Texas.[2][3]
| Gulf salt marsh snake | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Nerodia |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | N. c. clarkii
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| Trinomial name | |
| Nerodia clarkii clarkii | |
| Synonyms | |
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Description
editThe Gulf salt marsh snake is a moderately stout aquatic snake.[2] Adult specimens attain an average total length (including tail) of 38 to 51 cm (15 to 20 in), with the record maximum total length at 91.4 cm (36.0 in).[3] The color pattern in this subspecies is variable, but adults tend to have a dorsum that ranges from dark gray to reddish-brown with four yellowish longitudinal stripes down the body, two on each side. The belly is dark gray to reddish-brown with one to three rows of pale spots.[2][3]
Reproduction
editThe Gulf salt marsh snake reaches sexual maturity at three years. Females give birth to 2-44 live young that range from 17.7 to 22.8 centimetres (7.0 to 9.0 in) in total length. Their typical lifespan is up to 20 years.[2][3]
Diet
editN. c. clarkii is primarily nocturnal, preying upon small fish, crabs, shrimp, and other invertebrates that become trapped in tidal pools during low tide.[2][3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ NatureServe (5 July 2024). "Nerodia clarkii clarkii". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Mount, Robert H. (1975). The Reptiles and Amphibians of Alabama. Auburn, Alabama: Auburn Printing Company. pp. 215–216. OCLC 1958638.
- ^ a b c d e "Gulf Salt Marsh Snake". Florida Museum of Natural History. University of Florida. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
Further reading
edit- Baird SF, Girard CF (1853). Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part I.—Serpents. Washington, District of Columbia: Smithsonian Institution. xvi + 172 pp. (Regina clarkii, new species, p. 48).
- 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. ISBN 978-0-544-12997-9. (Nerodia c. clarkii, p. 415 + Plate 40).