Thamnophis saurita
| Ribbon snake | |
|---|---|
| |
| Eastern ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus sauritus) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Thamnophis |
| Species: | T. sauritus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Thamnophis sauritus | |
| Subspecies | |
|
4, see text | |
| Synonyms | |
The ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus) is a common species of garter snake endemic to eastern North America. It averages 16–35 in (41–89 cm) in length and is a member of the genus Thamnophis.[4]
Subspecies
The four recognized subspecies of ribbon snake are:
- Eastern ribbon snake – T. s. sauritus - brownish back, ranges from New York to Florida, west to the Mississippi River
- Northern ribbon snake – T. s. septentrionalis - dark brown or black above, ranges from Maine through Ontario and Indiana
- Southern ribbon snake or Peninsula ribbon snake – T. s. sackeni - tan or brown, ranges from South Carolina south through Florida
- Bluestripe ribbon snake – T. s. nitae - dark with light blue lateral stripes, Gulf Coast of north-central Florida
Captivity
Ribbon snakes are also common pets. A single snake can fit in a 10-gallon terrarium. They are also very docile.
Food
The ribbon snake has a diverse diet consisting of worms, slugs, meal worms and other insects, frogs, toads, and minnows.
References
- ^ Thamnophis sauritus, Reptile Database
- ^ Boulenger, G.A. (1893). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families...Colubridæ Aglyphæ, part... Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). London. xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I. - XXVIII. (Tropidonotus saurita, pp. 212-214.)
- ^ Ruthven, A.G. (1908). Variations and Genetic Relationships of the Garter-snakes. Bull. US Nat. Mus., 61: 1-201, 82 figures.
- ^ Conant, R. (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin. Boston. xviii + 429 pp. (Thamnophis sauritus, pp. 164-165, Plate 23, Map 119.)
External links
Media related to Thamnophis sauritus (category) at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Thamnophis sauritus at Wikispecies- Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus) eating frog
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