Thamnophis cyrtopsis

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

Overview

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

Ecology: This snake occurs in a wide range of habitats , from desert flats, dry grasslands, and tropical lowlands to pine-oak habitats and cloud forest in mountains; in the southwestern United States it is often in the vicinity of permanent and intermittent streams , spring seepages, and irrigation canals, usually in canyons , foothills, or mountains (Stebbins 2003). It inhabits rocky hillsides and limestone ledges, and wooded ravines and cedar brakes, in the Texas Hill Country (Tennant 1984). In Mexico, habitats include tropical barrancas, thorny scrub forest, tropical deciduous forest, and upper arid or mixed boreal-tropical cloud forest (Rossman et al. 1996). This snake wanders far from water into adjacent grassland, desert, woodland, and shrubland, but mostly it is restricted to the vicinity of consistent water sources in the arid southwest (Jones 1990).[2].

List of Habitats:

•     1     Forest   
  
•     1.4     Forest - Temperate   
  
•     1.5     Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Dry   
  
•     1.6     Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland   
  
•     1.9     Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane   
  
•     3     Shrubland   
  
•     3.4     Shrubland - Temperate   
  
•     3.5     Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry   
  
•     3.6     Shrubland - Subtropical/Tropical Moist   
  
•     4     Grassland   
  
•     4.4     Grassland - Temperate   
  
•     5     Wetlands (inland)   
  
•     5.1     Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls )   
  
•     5.2     Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent/Irregular Rivers/Streams/Creeks   
  
•     5.4     Wetlands (inland) - Bogs , Marshes, Swamps , Fens , Peatlands   
  
•     5.5     Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha)   
  
•     5.6     Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha)   
  
•     5.7     Wetlands (inland) - Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)   
  
•     5.8     Wetlands (inland) - Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)   
  
•     5.9     Wetlands (inland) - Freshwater Springs and Oases   
  
•     8     Desert   
  
•     8.2     Desert - Temperate   
[more info]

Taxonomy

Synonyms

Eutaenia cyrtopsis Kennicott 1860: 333 • Eutaenia cyrtopsis — Cope 1886: 285 • Thamnophis cyrtopsis cyrtopsis Conant and Collins 1991: 169 • Thamnophis cyrtopsis ocellatus — Conant & Collins 1991: 170 • Thamnophis cyrtopsis — Cope 1861: 299 • Thamnophis cyrtopsis — Liner 1994 • Thamnophis cyrtopsis — Milstead 1953: 348 • Thamnophis cyrtopsis — Peters & Orejas-Miranda 1970: 302 • Thamnophis cyrtopsis — Stebbins 1985: 208 • Thamnophis eques cyrtopsis Gloyd 1942

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Comment: The former subspecies fulvus has been raised to full species status. Not listed for Honduras by WILSON & MCCRANIE (2002). Reproduction : ovoviviparous.

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

• Breviora. 1958 Cambridge, Mass.: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, [1952- url p. 5, p. 7.
• Brigham Young University science bulletin. 1 1958 Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, [1955-1976] url p. 67.
• Bulletin - United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.];1877-1971. url p. 162, p. 164, p. 221, p. 250, p. 302.
• Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences Los Angeles, Calif.: The Academy, 1971- url p. 106, p. 163, p. 26, p. 27, p. 30, p. 33, p. 37, p. 40.
• Great Basin naturalist memoirs. 1978 [Provo, Utah]Brigham Young University, 1976-1992. url p. 268, fig. 6, page 48.
• New North American fleas. 29 1944 Chicago, 1944 url p. 228.
• Occasional papers of the California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco: California Academy of Sciences, url p. 809.
• Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia url p. 299.
• Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. Washington, Biological Society of Washington url p. 10, p. 12, p. 16, p. 191, p. 511, p. 91.
• Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco, The Academy. url p. 151.
• Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 25 1903 Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.] url p. 1017, p. 155, p. 297, p. 324, p. 584.
• Sexual size differences in reptiles / by Henry S. Fitch. 1981 Lawrence: University of Kansas, 1981. url p. 26, p. 64.
• The Great Basin naturalist. 57 1997 Provo, Utah: M.L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, 1939-1999. url tanner, page 369, tanner, page 499, p. 507, p. 676.
• The University of Kansas science bulletin. 33 1950 [Lawrence]: University of Kansas, 1902-1996. url p. 330.
• The biogeography of the herpetofauna of the subhumid forests of Middle America: (Isthmus of Tehuantepec to northwestern Costa Rica) / Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum, c1998. url p. 19, p. 24, p. 26, p. 30.
• The reptiles of western North America, an account of the species known to inhabit California and Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, British Columbia, Sonora and Lower California, by John Van Denburgh, with one hundred and twenty-eight plates. San Francisco, California Academy of Sciences, 1922. url p. 809.
• Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History. 21 1985 [San Diego]: The Society, 1905-1989. url p. 24, p. 42.
• Tulane studies in zoology and botany. 18 New Orleans: Tulane University, [1968- url , , , , , , , , fig. 3, page 136, fig. 4, page 138, p. 160.
• Tulane studies in zoology. 13 New Orleans: Tulane University, 1953-1968. url , p. 191, webb, page 55, fig. 1, page 57, fig. 2, page 59, fig. 4, page 63, fig. 6, page 66, p. 67, p. 69, p. 70.
• University of Kansas publications, Museum of Natural History. 15 1961 Lawrence, University of Kansas. url fig. 10, page 115, p. 144, p. 145, p. 204, p. 243, p. 246, p. 251, p. 717.
• Variations and genetic relationships of the garter-snakes, by Alexander G. Ruthven. Washington, Govt. print. off., 1908. url p. 158.
• Vertebrate ecology and systematics: a tribute to Henry S. Fitch / edited by Richard A. Seigel. .. [et al.]. Lawrence: University of Kansas, 1984. url p. 230, p. 235, p. 275, p. 7.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 10, 2012.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 27, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 8 providers.
• Hammerson, G.A. 2007. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 19, 2008.
• Hammerson, G.A. 2007. Thamnophis cyrtopsis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloadedon 05February2012.
• 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:

• Arizona State University, International Institute for Species Exploration: Arizona State University Amphibian and Reptile Collection
• Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates: Amphibians and Reptiles Collection
• Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History: Vertebrate specimens
• Museum of Southwestern Biology, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles: Museum of Southwestern Biology, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles database
• Museum of Vertebrate Zoology: Terrestrial vertebrate specimens
• Sternberg Museum of Natural History: Herp Collection
• University of Colorado Museum: Zoological specimens
• Yale University Peabody Museum: Peabody Herp Collection DiGIR provider Service

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2545639
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Rep-7140
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 209108
• IUCN ID: 245997
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: ARADB36040
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 177884

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. Hammerson, G.A. 2007. Thamnophis cyrtopsis. 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.