Thamnophis chrysocephalus

• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Family Colubridae

The family Colubridae, which includes the kingsnakes (Lampropeltis spp. ), is the largest, most widespread, and diverse family of snakes , with few physical characteristics universal among all species. The family contains 70 percent of the known species of snakes, with more than 1700 species worldwide (Pough et al. 1998). Although some colubrids are dangerously venomous , most are harmless to humans. [1]

Habitat

Biome: Terrestrial [2].

Ecology: This terrestrial species has a high affinity with humid habitats , it can be found under rocks and logs close to pools and streams in cloud forests and pine oak forest . It can be found in primary and secondary forest and degraded habitats, such as agricultural land . It is a viviparous species.[2].

List of Habitats:

•     1     Forest   
  
•     1.5     Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry   
  
•     1.9     Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane   
  
•     5     Wetlands (inland)   
  
•     5.1     Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls )   
  
•     5.7     Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)   
  
•     14     Artificial/Terrestrial   
  
•     14.1     Artificial/Terrestrial - Arable Land   
  
•     14.2     Artificial/Terrestrial - Pastureland   
[more info]

Taxonomy

Synonyms

Eutaenia chrysocephala Cope 1885: 173 • Thamnophis chrysocephalus — Liner 2007 • Thamnophis eburatus Taylor 1940 • Tropidonotus chrysocephalus Boulenger 1893: 203

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Comment: Reproduction : ovoviviparous. Original description (from COPE 1885): The E. chrysocephala has a slender body, and a wide, flat head , with a large eye. The size of the latter contracts the frontal plate , so that it is not wider than the superciliaries posteriorly. The scuta are otherwise as usual. Superior labials eight, none higher than long, fourth and fifth below orbit. The inferior surfaces are darker than in E. collaris, which causes a better definition of the lateral line than in that species. There are representations of two rows of lateral black spots , but they are merely black scale-borders, those of the inferior row the more distinct . A similar row of black edges on the first row of scales . All of these spots become distinct on the sides of the neck. Nuchal spot large, black, and with a shallow notch behind ; no occipital or other spots on the head. The gastrosteges have black bases , a character not seen in any of the other species here referred to. Gastrosteges, 151. Total length, M. .430; of tail, .135, or one-third the total.

Similar Species

Members of the genus Thamnophis

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 68 species and subspecies in this genus:

T. angustirostris (Longnose Garter Snake) · T. atratus (Aquatic Gartersnake) · T. atratus atratus (Santa Cruz Garter Snake) · T. atratus hydrophilus (Aquatic Garter Snake) · T. brachystoma (Short-Headed Garter Snake) · T. butleri (Butler's Gartersnake) · T. chrysocephalus (Goldenhead Garter Snake) · T. couchii (Couch's Garter Snake) · T. couchii couchii (Western Aquatic Garter Snake) · T. cyrtopsis (Black-Necked Garter Snake) · T. cyrtopsis collaris (Black-Necked Garter Snake) · T. cyrtopsis ocellatus (Black-Headed Garter Snake) · T. elegans (Terrestrial Gartersnake) · T. elegans arizonae (Arizona Garter Snake) · T. elegans elegans (Mountain Garter Snake) · T. elegans terrestris (Coast Garter Snake) · T. elegans vagrans (Wandering Garter Snake) · T. elegans vascotanneri (Upper Basin Garter Snake) · T. eques (Mexican Gartersnake) · T. eques eques (Mexican Garter Snake) · T. eques megalops (Mexican Garter Snake) · T. exsul (Montane Garter Snake) · T. fulvus (Highland Garter Snake) · T. gigas (Giant Gartersnake) · T. godmani (Godman's Garter Snake) · T. hammondi (Two-Striped Garter Snake) · T. hammondii (Two-Striped Gartersnake) · T. marcianus (Checkered Garter Snake) · T. melanogaster (Blackbelly Garter Snake) · T. melanogaster melanogaster (Blackbelly Garter Snake) · T. mendax (Tamaulipan Montane Garter Snake) · T. ordinoides (Northwestern Gartersnake) · T. ordinoides ordinoides (Northwestern Garter Snake) · T. proximus (Western Ribbon Snake) · T. proximus diabolicus (Arid Land Ribbon Snake) · T. proximus orarius (Gulf Coast Ribbon Snake) · T. proximus (Western Ribbon Snake) · T. proximus rubrilineatus (Redstripe Ribbon Snake) · T. radix (Plains Gartersnake) · T. radix haydeni (Plains Garter Snake) · T. radix haydenii (Western Plains Garter Snake) · T. radix radix (Eastern Plains Garter Snake) · T. rossmani (Rossman's Garter Snake) · T. rufipunctatus (Narrow-Headed Garter Snake) · T. rufipunctatus rufipunctatus (Narrowhead Garter Snake) · T. sauritus (Eastern Ribbonsnake) · T. sauritus nitae (Blue-Striped Ribbon Snake) · T. sauritus sackenii (Eastern Ribbon Snake) · T. sauritus sauritus (Eastern Ribbon Snake) · T. sauritus septentrionalis (Eastern Ribbon Snake) · T. scalaris (Longtail Alpine Garter Snake) · T. scaliger (Short-Tail Alpine Garter Snake) · T. sirtalis (San Francisco Garter Snake) · T. sirtalis annectens (Common Garter Snake) · T. sirtalis concinnus (Common Garter Snake) · T. sirtalis dorsalis (Common Garter Snake) · T. sirtalis fitchi (Common Garter Snake) · T. sirtalis infernalis (California Red-Sided Garter Snake) · T. sirtalis pallidulus (Common Garter Snake) · T. sirtalis parietalis (Common Garter Snake) · T. sirtalis pickeringii (Common Garter Snake) · T. sirtalis semifasciatus (Chicago Garter Snake) · T. sirtalis similis (Blue-Striped Garter Snake) · T. sirtalis sirtalis (Common Garter Snake) · T. sirtalis tetrataenia (Common Garter Snake) · T. sumichrasti (Sumichrast's Garter Snake) · T. valida (West Coast Garter Snake) · T. valida valida (West Coast Garter Snake)

More Info

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Further Reading

• Bulletin - United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.];1877-1971. url p. 161, p. 178, p. 212, p. 215.
• Occasional papers of the Natural History Museum, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas. 1996 Lawrence, Kan.: The University, 1994-1996. url p. 16, p. 18.
• Proceedings of the United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.] url p. 479, p. 482.
• The University of Kansas science bulletin. 34 1951 [Lawrence]: University of Kansas, 1902-1996. url p. 202, p. 207, p. 350, p. 379.
• Tulane studies in zoology and botany. 23 1982 New Orleans: Tulane University, [1968- url p. 160.
• University of Kansas publications, Museum of Natural History. 15 1965 Lawrence, University of Kansas. url p. 681.

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.
• Canseco-Márquez, L. & Mendoza-Quijano, F. 2007. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 19, 2008.
• Canseco-Mrquez, L. & Mendoza-Quijano, F. 2007. Thamnophis chrysocephalus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloadedon 05February2012.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 27, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. . Downloaded on January 28, 2012.
• Ruggiero M., Gordon D., Bailly N., Kirk P., Nicolson D. (2011). The Catalogue of Life Taxonomic Classification, Edition 2, Part A. In: Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist (Bisby F.A., Roskov Y.R., Orrell T.M., Nicolson D., Paglinawan L.E., Bailly N., Kirk P.M., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Ouvrard D., eds). DVD; Species 2000: Reading, UK.
• TIGR Reptile Database . Release date: October 2, 2007
• Uetz, Peter. The Reptile Database

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 27, 2008:

• Museum of Vertebrate Zoology: Terrestrial vertebrate specimens

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2545637
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Rep-7138
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 586129
• IUCN ID: 245995
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 140493

Footnotes

1. Painter, Charles W., Chuck L. Hayes, and James N. Stuart "Recovery and Conservation of the Gray-Banded Kingsnake. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. May 1, 2002. [back]
2. Canseco-Márquez, L. & Mendoza-Quijano, F. 2007. Thamnophis chrysocephalus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 05 February 2012. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.