Brazos water snake

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Brazos water snake
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Nerodia
Species:
N. harteri
Binomial name
Nerodia harteri
(Trapido, 1941)
Synonyms [2]
  • Natrix harteri
    Trapido, 1941
  • Nerodia harteri
    Mecham, 1983

The Brazos water snake (Nerodia harteri), also called commonly Harter's water snake, is a species of mostly aquatic, nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Texas in the United States.

Contents

Geographic range

N. harteri is found only in Central Texas in the Brazos River system. [2]

Habitat

The preferred habitat of N. harteri is rocky areas along the Brazos River. [2]

Conservation status

Due to its limited range, N. harteri is considered to be a near-threatened species in Texas.

Etymology

The specific name or epithet, harteri, is in honor of American amateur herpetologist Philip Harter, who collected the first specimen in Palo Pinto County in 1936. [3] [4]

Description

The Brazos water snake grows to a total length (including tail) of 16 to 32 inches (41–81 cm), and ranges in color from brown to olive green. It has two rows of spots that go down either side of its back, and has a pink or orange underside with dark spots down either side.

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References

  1. Hammerson GA (2007). "Nerodia harteri ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ 2018-1. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
  2. 1 2 3 "Nerodia harteri ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. Trapido H (1941). "A New Species of Natrix from Texas". American Midland Naturalist25 (4): 673-680, 5 figures. (Natrix harteri, new species).
  4. 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. (Nerodia harteri, p. 117).

Further reading