Storeria dekayi
| Storeria dekayi | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Natricinae |
| Genus: | Storeria |
| Species: | S. dekayi |
| Binomial name | |
| Storeria dekayi (Holbrook, 1836) |
|
| Synonyms | |
- For other species commonly referred to as the brown snake, see brown snake.
Storeria dekayi, commonly known as the brown snake or De Kay's snake, is a small species of colubrid snake.[1][2]
Contents |
[edit] Geographic range
It is native to Southern Ontario and Québec, most of the eastern half of the United States, through Mexico and into Central America.[3]
[edit] Description
Dorsally it is brown to gray with a lighter center stripe bordered by small black spots; ventrally it is lighter brown or pink with small black dots at the ends of the ventral scales.[4] Adults usually measure less than 12 inches (30.5 cm), but the record size is 19⅜ inches (49.2 cm).[5] It has keeled dorsal scales, and no loreal scale.[6]
[edit] Reproduction
Like other Natricine snakes (such as watersnakes (genus Nerodia) and gartersnakes (genus Thamnophis)), Storeria dekayi are ovoviviparous.
[edit] Diet
It eats earthworms, slugs, and snails.
[edit] Etymology
The epithet dekayi is in honor of American zoologist James Ellsworth De Kay (1792–1851) who collected the first specimen in Long Island, New York, while the genus name Storeria honors zoologist D. Humphreys Storer.[1] This is the only North American snake whose binomial is a double honorific - that is, both the genus and species name honor people.
[edit] Subspecies
There are nine recognized subspecies of S. dekayi:
- Storeria dekayi anomala Dugès, 1888
- Northern brown snake, Storeria dekayi dekayi (Holbrook, 1836)
- marsh brown snake, Storeria dekayi limnetes Anderson, 1961
- Storeria dekayi temporalineata Trapido, 1944
- Texas brown snake, Storeria dekayi texana Trapido, 1944
- Storeria dekayi tropica Cope, 1885
- Florida brown snake, Storeria dekayi victa O.P. Hay, 1892
- Midland brown snake, Storeria dekayi wrightorum Trapido, 1944
- Mexican yellowbelly brown snake, Storeria hidalgoensis Taylor, 1942
[edit] References
- ^ Stejneger, L. & T. Barbour. 1917. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Harvard University Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts. p. 98.
- ^ Wright, A.H. & A.A. Wright. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Comstock. Ithaca and London. p. 697.
- ^ The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ 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. p. 227.
- ^ Conant,Roger. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin. Boston. p. 153.
- ^ Smith, H.M. & E.D. Brodie, Jr. 1982. Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. Golden Press. New York. p. 158.
- Species Storeria dekayi at The Reptile Database
- Storeria dekayi at Animal Diversity Web
- Brown Snake, Natural Resources Canada
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