Suborder Serpentes Subfamily Xenodontinae Phylum Chordata Order Scaled reptiles | Subphylum Vertebrata Genus Farancia Higher classification Farancia Rank Species | |
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Similar Snake, Farancia, Reptile, Scaled reptiles, Mud snake | ||
Farancia erytrogramma (also known as the rainbow snake, and less commonly, the eel moccasin) is a species of large, nonvenomous, highly aquatic, colubrid snake, which is endemic to coastal plains of the southeastern United States.
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Etymology
The specific name, erytrogramma, is derived from the Greek words ερυθρóς (erythros), meaning "red," and γράμμα (gramma), meaning "line."
Common names
Other common names for F. erytrogramma include horn snake, mud snake, red-lined snake, red-lined horned snake, red-sided snake, sand hog, sand snake, and striped wampum.
Description
Rainbow snakes have smooth, glossy bluish-black back scales, with three red stripes. They have short tails, with a spiny tip which they sometimes use as a probe. Adults may show yellow coloration along the sides and on the head.
They usually grow to a total length (including tail) of 36-48 inches (91–122 cm), although some specimens have been recorded up to 66 inches (168 cm) in total length. Females are larger than males.
Behavior
Rainbow snakes are rarely seen due to their secretive habits. They spend most of their lives in the water, hiding in aquatic vegetation or other forms of cover. They are strong swimmers, and also know how to burrow into mud and sand. Rainbow snakes are not aggressive when captured, and do not bite their captors.
In New Kent County, Virginia, they are abundant in sandy fields near the Chickahominy River, and great numbers are turned up by plows in the spring.
Diet
Rainbow snakes subsist mainly on eels, but also prey on small frogs, tadpoles, and salamanders. They eat their prey alive, usually swallowing them head first.
Reproduction
Female rainbow snakes usually lay their eggs in July, leaving them underground in sandy soil. A clutch consists of around 20 eggs on average, but large females may lay over 50. The young are hatched in late summer or fall.
Habitat
Rainbow snakes are found in aquatic habitats ranging from cypress swamps and marshes to blackwater creeks, slow-moving streams, and sandy coastal plain.
Geographic range
F. erytrogramma is found from southern Maryland to southeastern Louisiana, including eastern Virginia, southeastern North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, northern Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. A small population once inhabited the Lake Okeechobee region in southern Florida, but was declared extinct on October 5, 2011.
Subspecies
There are two recognized subspecies of F. erytrogramma: