Texas scarlet snake
Comparison of Cemophora lineri (Texas scarletsnake) specimen from North Padre Island with C. lineri specimen from San Patricio County a Cemophora lineri (Texas scarletsnake) from North Padre Island b Cemophora lineri from San Patricio County. Note that the colors of the NPI specimen are duller than those of the scarletsnake from the mainland.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Cemophora
Species:
C. lineri
Binomial name
Cemophora lineri
K.L. Williams, B.C. Brown & Wilson, 1966
Synonyms[1]
  • Cemophora coccinea lineri
    K.L. Williams, B.C. Brown & Wilson, 1966
  • Cemophora lineri
    — Weinell & Austin, 2017

The Texas scarlet snake (Cemophora lineri) is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the South Central United States. It was previously considered a subspecies of Cemophora coccinea.

Etymology

The specific name or epithet, lineri, is in honor of American herpetologist Ernest A. Liner (1925–2010), who collected the first specimen in 1963.[2][3]

Geographic range

C. lineri is found in southern Texas. Its range does not overlap with the other species of scarlet snake.[4]

Description

The Texas scarlet snake is the larger of the two scarlet snake species, and is capable of growing to a total length (including tail) of 66 cm (26 inches). It has a gray or white background color, with distinct red blotches that have black borders. Unlike the other species, the black borders do not join on the sides. Its belly is a solid white or gray.

Behavior

Like all scarlet snakes (genus Cemophora), the Texas scarlet snake is a secretive burrower, spending most of its time under ground. It prefers sandy thicket habitats along the Gulf of Mexico coastline.

Diet

The preferred diet of C. lineri is the eggs of other reptiles, but it will also eat small rodents and lizards.

References

  1. ↑ "Cemophora lineri ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  2. ↑ Beltz, Ellin (2006). Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America – Explained.
  3. ↑ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Cemophora coccinea lineri, p. 159).
  4. ↑ Powell R, Conant R, Collins JT (2016). Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiv + 494 pp., 47 plates, 207 figures. ISBN 978-0-544-12997-9. (Cemophora coccinea lineri, pp. 367-368 + Plates 32, 44 + Figure 159 on p. 330).

Further reading

  • Behler JL, King FW (1979). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 743 pp. ISBN 0-394-50824-6. (Cemophora coccinea lineri, p. 593).
  • Conant R (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. + Plates 1-48 ISBN 0-395-19979-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Cemophora coccinea lineri, p. 212 + Map 152).
  • Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-13666-3 (paperback), ISBN 0-307-47009-1 (hardcover). (Cemophora coccinea lineri, p. 178).
  • Weinell, Jeffrey L.; Austin, Christopher C. (2017). "Refugia and Speciation in North American Scarlet Snakes (Cemophora)". Journal of Herpetology 51: 161–171. (Cemophora lineri, new status).
  • Williams KL, Brown BC, Wilson LD (1966). "A new subspecies of the colubrid snake Cemophora coccinea (Blumenbach) from Southern Texas". Texas Journal of Science 18: 85–88. (Cemophora coccinea lineri, new subspecies).
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