Blackneck garter snake

Eastern black-necked garter snake

  • Western black-necked garter snake ( Thamnophis cyrtopsis cyrtopsis ) ( KENNICOTT, 1860)
  • Collar garter snake ( Thamnophis cyrtopsis collaris ) (JAN 1863 )
  • Eastern black-necked garter snake ( Thamnophis cyrtopsis ocellatus ) ( COPE, 1880)

The black-necked garter snake ( Thamnophis cyrtopsis ) is recognized by over 30 species of garter snake ( Thamnophis ) with turn three subspecies: the western black-necked garter snake ( Thamnophis cyrtopsis cyrtopsis ), the collar garter snake ( Thamnophis cyrtopsis collaris ) and the Eastern Black neck garter snake ( Thamnophis cyrtopsis ocellatus ).

Features

Females are usually a meter long, large specimens are just under 1.20 meters. Males rarely reach a length of more than 60 centimeters.

Black-necked garter snakes are specialized in feeding on amphibians and small fish. Depending on the area of ​​distribution of a winter rest two to three months is maintained. These snakes are viviparous. A litter usually includes five to 20 pups.

Dissemination

The black-necked garter snake is one of the southernmost of this snake species. Their natural habitats ranging from Arizona in the western U.S. over the central Texas to southern Mexico. Chance it is also found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica even in the very south of Central America.

Subspecies

Currently three subspecies are recognized:

  • Western black-necked garter snake ( Thamnophis cyrtopsis cyrtopsis ) KENNICOTT, 1860 - olive brown to dark gray with narrow yellow stripes and yellow back to white flanks. The belly is light colored and not drawn. With a circulation area of southern Utah in the central Mexican plateau to the western black-necked garter snake is the northernmost representative of this Article as habitat are mainly rocky landscape near water. Especially in the canyons this snake is native.
  • Collar garter snake ( Thamnophis cyrtopsis collaris ) JAN 1863 - The ranges in color from reddish brown to black with narrow yellow to orange back stripe. The abdomen is often a bit lighter than the base color. The distribution area extends across Mexico to the west coast of Guatemala. As habitats are grasslands in the highlands.
  • Eastern black-necked garter snake ( Thamnophis cyrtopsis ocellatus ) COPE, 1880 - Dark brown to brownish-gray with distinctly colored yellow to orange back stripe and yellow to whitish edges. As a distribution area, only the Edwards Plateau in Texas is known, here it is mainly found in the grasslands.

Changes in species and subspecies

The black-necked garter snake is another vivid example of the type assignments continuously changing within the diverse species of garter snakes. While still recently new Thamnophis representatives were discovered, Artzuordnung these animals is constantly also redesigned using modern genetic analysis.

Thus, the previous subspecies Th.C. apply cyclides and Th.C. vicinus today as a collar garter snakes ( Thamnophis cyrtopsis collaris ).

Th.C. fulvus, the independent species Thamnophis fulvus today dar. Also Th.C. postremus became a separate species status, Thamnophis postremus, granted. Th.C. pulchrilatus is the kind Thamnophis pulchrilatus.

Genus Middle America (region) Giorgio Jan
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