Farancia erytrogramma

Rainbow mud snake ( Farancia erytrogramma )

The rainbow mud snake ( Farancia erytrogramma ), sometimes referred to as Rainbow Snake, is a non-toxic snake of the family of snakes. In addition to the nominate subspecies extinct Farancia erytrogramma the Farancia erytrogramma seminola is erytrogramma distinguished.

Features

The rainbow mud snake is a close relative of the mud snake ( Farancia abacura ). It has a long, well-built body, which usually reaches a total length of 91-122 cm. The largest specimen was caught 168 cm long. The females are significantly longer than the males. The narrow head and the neck are about the same width. The tongue is very short and is reduced. The scales are shiny and iridescent. The ground color is dark and three clearly marked reddish and pink stripes extend over the length of the back. The belly is even more striking patterned. On a bright yellow to red background, a double row of black spots extends. The scales are smooth and the anal scale is usually divided. The rainbow mud snake has to be able to hold a protruding horn scale at the tip of the tail, presumably to slippery food such as eels and salamanders. The newly hatched snakes reach a body length of 200 to 220 mm and are in habit to Altschlangen similar.

Dissemination

The rainbow mud snake is native to Central Florida, Georgia, eastern Louisiana, eastern Virginia, Alabama, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. The occurrence of the subspecies Farancia erytrogramma seminola was limited to Fish Eating Creek in Glades County in southern Florida.

Habitat

The rainbow mud snake inhabits streams, rivers, cypress swamps and brackish marshes. It prefers clear spring waters and flowing waters. Although the rainbow mud snake is a strict Marine life, one can observe during the winter rest in sandy fields near the wetlands occasionally.

Way of life

The rainbow mud snake is mainly nocturnal. The diet of adult birds consists of American eels (Anguilla rostrata ), which has earned them the English common name Eel moccasin. The young snakes feed on amphibians, tadpoles and small fish. The mating season is in spring and each female lays 10-52 eggs in an underground cave in the sandy soil. The females are often left to hatch the boy after 60 to 80 days for the eggs. The rainbow mud snake has numerous predators, including raccoons, otters, bobcats, Rotschulterbussarde and chain kingsnakes.

Status

Due to the secret of life, the population status of the species is difficult to determine. Dams that affect the flow upstream and downstream migrations of American eels, have a negative effect on the stocks of upriver wild populations of this snake. The subspecies Farancia erytrogramma seminola has not been detected since the 1950s, and in 2011 officially declared extinct.