| Blackbelly garter snake | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Thamnophis |
| Species: | T. melanogaster |
| Binomial name | |
| Thamnophis melanogaster (Peters, 1864) | |
The blackbelly garter snake (Thamnophis melanogaster) is a species of snake of the family Colubridae. It is found in Mexico.
First described as Tropidonotus melanogaster by Peters in 1864, this species is now recognized as Thamnophis melanogaster. [2]
It is found on the Central Mexican Plateau at elevations between 1,158 and 2,545 m above sea level. [3]
The dorsal color of these snakes may be brown, olive green, gray, red, orange, or pink. Ventral colors include the same as the dorsal, with the addition of yellow. Dorsal patterns may include stripes and there is typically a black stripe running down the center of the belly, [4] which explains both the common and scientific names for this species. There is little or no difference in size between the sexes of Blackbelly garter snakes. [3]
This is a terrestrial species that occurs in temperate habitats. Although it lives on land, it has not been found more than 15 m from a body of water. [5]
Blackbelly garter snakes are ovoviviparous. [6]
These snakes feed exclusively under water and they are the only known Thamnophis to prey on soft-bodied crayfish. They have a highly variable diet that also includes fish, frogs, tadpoles, leeches, and earthworms. Good underwater vision and chemical cues help the snakes find and capture their prey. [3]
Four subspecies are known:
The specific name melanogaster is composed of two Greek words, melanos, which means black and gaster, which means belly. [7]
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Garter snake is the common name for small to medium-sized snakes belonging to the genus Thamnophis in the family Colubridae. Native to North and Central America, species in the genus Thamnophis can be found in all of the lower 48 United States, and nearly all of the Canadian provinces south of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut—with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador. They are found from the subarctic plains of west-central Canada east through Ontario and Quebec; from the Maritime Provinces and south to Florida, across the southern and central U.S. into the arid regions of the southwest and México, Guatemala and south to the neotropics and Costa Rica.
Rufus Wade Fox Jr., was an American zoologist and herpetologist from the University of California, Berkeley. He specialized in the anatomy of snakes and the systematics of the western garter snakes.
Paul Ferdinand Deppe but known mostly as Ferdinand Deppe was a German naturalist, explorer and painter. He was the younger brother of Wilhelm Deppe, an accountant with the Berlin Zoological Museum. A number of species have been described from his collected and named after him.
The queen snake is a species of nonvenomous semiaquatic snake, a member of the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America.
Thamnophis saurita, also known as the eastern ribbon snake, common ribbon snake, or simply ribbon snake, is a common species of garter snake native to Eastern North America. It is a non-venomous species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The ribbon snake averages 16 to 35 inches in total length. It is dark brown with bright yellow stripes. The ribbon snake is not sexually dimorphic; however, females are normally thicker than their male counterparts.
The San Francisco garter snake is a slender multi-colored subspecies of the common garter snake. Designated as an endangered subspecies since the year 1967, it is endemic to San Mateo County and the extreme northern part of coastal Santa Cruz County in California.
The eastern garter snake is a medium-sized snake indigenous to North America.
The plains garter snake is a species of garter snake native to most of the central United States as far north as Canada and as far south as Texas. It has a distinctive orange or yellow stripe from its head to tail, and the rest of its body is mainly a gray-green color. The snake is commonly found living near water sources such as streams and ponds, but can also be found in urban areas and vacant lots. Although the IUCN lists the species as "Least Concern", some states have given it their own special status. This species is mildly venomous, although the venom is not toxic to humans.
The giant garter snake is the largest species of garter snake. Relatively rare, it is a semi-aquatic snake with a limited distribution in the wetlands of central California.
The blackbelly salamander is a species of salamander in the family Plethodontidae. It is endemic to the United States. Its natural habitats are rivers, intermittent rivers, and freshwater springs. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The two-striped garter snake is a species of aquatic garter snake, which is endemic to western North America.
The northwestern garter snake is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America.
The western terrestrial garter snake is a western North American species of colubrid snake. At least five subspecies are recognized.
The narrow-headed garter snake, Thamnophis rufipunctatus, is a species of garter snake, endemic to the southwestern United States and adjacent northwestern Mexico. Its common names also include narrowhead garter snake and narrowhead watersnake.
Thamnophis brachystoma, commonly known as the shorthead garter snake or short-headed gartersnake, is a small species of colubrid snake. The species is endemic to the north-eastern United States.
Godman's garter snake is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to southern Mexico, and was first described by Albert Günther in 1894.
Thamnophis lineri, also known commonly as Liner's garter snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Mexico.
The Southern Durango spotted garter snake is a species of snake of the family Colubridae. It is endemic to the state of Durango, Mexico.
Lingual luring is a form of aggressive mimicry in which a predator uses its tongue to fool potential prey into approaching close to what appears to be a small wriggling worm.
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