Lined Snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum)
Description: This species is a relatively small and slender. The head is small, barely wider than the body. Adults range in size from 8.7 to 15 inches. A variety of body colorations are present, from olive- to gray-brown. Down the middle of the back, there is a light stripe that varies in color from white to orange. There are two additional stripes along the sides. The ventral belly scales are white, with two rows of black, half moon-shaped scales down the center. The keeled dorsal scales are arranged in 19 rows at midbody. There are only 5 or 6 upper labials.
Habitat: Lined snakes are found in a variety of habitats, including open prairies, the edges of woodlands and sparsely wooded areas, vacant lots, and residential areas. They hibernate during winter months in the crevices of rocky outcroppings. Individuals have been found to hibernate at a depth of 6 to 8 inches.
Range: The lined snake is found throughout the central United States from Illinois to Texas.
Diet: Lined snakes mainly feed on earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris). They usually forage at night or after a rainstorm, when earthworms are most active. Their secondary diet has also been recorded to include sow bugs (Oniscus asellus), snails (Helix aspersa), slugs, and soft-bodied insects.
Reproduction: The lined snake is ovoviviparous, the young being born in August. The average brood is seven or eight. The newborn juveniles are 4-4 3/4 inches long at birth.
Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of habitat modification, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.
Taxonomy: The genus is monotypic, containing the sole species. As of Sept. 2020, the 4 subspecies, Tropidoclonion lineatum lineatum – northern lined snake, Tropidoclonion lineatum annectens – central lined snake, Tropidoclonion lineatum mertensi – Mertens’ lined snake, & Tropidoclonion lineatum texanum – Texas lined snake of this were removed to be included as just one species.
»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
»» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
»» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
»» Class: Reptilia - Reptiles
»» Order: Squamata - Scaled Reptiles
»» Suborder: Serpentes
»» Superfamily: Colubroidea
»» Family: Colubridae - Colubrids
»» Genus: Tropidoclonion
»» Species: Tropidoclonion lineatum - Lined Snake
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tropidoclonion", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.
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