| Queen snake | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Regina |
| Species: | R. septemvittata |
| Binomial name | |
| Regina septemvittata (Say, 1825) | |
| Synonyms [2] [3] [4] | |
The queen snake (Regina septemvittata) is a species of nonvenomous semiaquatic snake, a member of the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America.
R. septemvittata is known by many common names, including the following: banded water snake, brown queen snake, diamond-back water snake, leather snake, moon snake, North American seven-banded snake, olive water snake, pale snake, queen water snake, seven-striped water snake, striped water snake, three-striped water snake, willow snake, and yellow-bellied snake. [5]
R. septemvittata ranges through the temperate region of North America east of the Mississippi River from western New York state to Wisconsin and south to Alabama and northern Florida. It is also found in the southwestern parts of Ontario.
[6] Decreases in queen snake populations can be most attributed to a loss of food sources through stream channelization, bank erosion, and water pollution. [7]
The queen snake is similar in appearance to a garter snake, genus Thamnophis, so is often confused with that group. The queen snake is olive to gray or dark brown in overall coloration, with peach or yellow stripes that run down its length at the first scale row. There are also four prominent ventral stripes of a darker color, and as no other similar species has stripes running down the length of its belly, this is an important feature in identifying this snake. In the young and juvenile snakes there are three extra stripes: one stripe that runs along the vertebral dorsal scales, and two stripes (one on each side) that run down the length of the body at scale rows five and six. These extra stripes tend to fade as the snake matures, but when young the snake will have a total of seven stripes, three on the back and four on the belly, which gives cause for its taxonomical reference name, Regina (queen) septemvittata (seven-striped). The belly of the snake is a cream to yellow color.
The head of the queen snake is narrow and has nine large plate-like scales on the top, and the chin has several rows of thicker scales. This is a protective adaptation, for the snake's feeding habit of chasing its prey under rocks. The pupil of the eye is round, a feature shared with most other colubrids. There are 19 rows of keeled dorsal scales at midbody, and the anal plate is divided. The sexes are often difficult to distinguish based on external characteristics. Male queen snakes have relatively longer tails than females. Males have from 65 to 89 subcaudal scutes (average 76), with the tail from 23% to 34% of the snake's total length. Females have 54 to 87 subcaudals (average 69), with tails equal to 19% to 27% of total length.
Queen snakes are not large, and they seldom grow to more than 24 inches (61 cm) in total length (including tail). The females are generally slightly larger than the males.
Female queen snakes will be fully sexually mature at three years of age, males at two years. Breeding takes place in the spring and autumn months. If mating was in the autumn, the female can delay giving birth until spring, storing the energy she will need through the months that she will be in a period of brumation. This snake is ovoviviparous, the female giving birth to live young after carrying the eggs within her body. This differs from oviparous and viviparous snakes. Litter size can vary from 5 to 20, and the time for an individual birth is from 1.5 to 2.5 minutes. Time between individual births is 4 minutes to 1 hour, with the average time being 11 minutes.
The newly born snakes will be approximately 6 in (15 cm) long and weigh 0.1 ounces (2.8 g). Newborn snakes begin to grow very rapidly and may shed their skin twice in their first week while living on the nutrient rich yolk stores they preserve through this time in their lives. The baby snakes are able to swim and move about and they must fend for themselves independently directly after birth. Juvenile queen snakes range from 17.5 to 23 cm (6.9 to 9.1 in) in length.
The habitat requirements for the queen snake are very specific, and this snake is never found in areas that lack clean running streams and watersheds with stony and rocky bottoms. The water temperature must be a minimum of 50 °F (10 °C) during the snake's active months. This is in a large part due to the snake's dietary requirements. They subsist almost entirely on fresh water crayfish. It preys almost exclusively on newly-molted crayfish, which are not able to defend themselves effectively with their pincers. One study indicates that crayfish make up over 90% of the snake's diet. [8] Other sources of food include frogs, tadpoles, newts, minnows, snails, and fairy shrimp. The queen snake does not find its food by sight or heat detection, but by smell, using its tongue to carry the scent of its prey to receptors within its mouth. In this way it is able to home in on its prey, even under water.
The queen snake is in a period of brumation throughout the winter months, and groups of them can be found in "hibernacula", near water. These hibernation dens can be inside old bridge abutments, cracked concrete retaining walls and dams, and in niches of bedrock. During this time, the snakes are lethargic, and their main prey, crayfish, may become the predator, particularly of the young snakes.
It is a diurnal species, but it can be found moving about and hunting at night as well. They are often found by turning over rocks within or near the brooks and streams they inhabit to find prey. [9] They will also come out of the water to bask in the sun, often perching on branches or roots above or near the waters edge. Queen snakes are very alert to any potential danger and will drop into the water when disturbed. They are rather docile snakes, not too likely to bite. Their main defenses are thrashing, spinning, and secreting malodorous feces and anal musk, similar to the behaviour of the garter snake in this defense. [10] Queen snakes have been shown to use the sun for celestial orientation in their habitat. [11]
Predators of queen snakes are raccoons, otters, mink, hawks and herons. Large frogs and fish will also eat the young snakes. When approached by predators, queen snakes will flee a distance directly related to their internal temperature. [12] The main threat to the queen snake is habitat loss as waterways are drained, disturbed or polluted. Crayfish, their main food, are sensitive to acidification and accumulation of heavy metals. Thus, as waterways have become polluted and crayfish have died out, the queen snake population has declined throughout its former range. In many areas the queen snake has disappeared or has become in danger of doing so.
Queen snakes are described as dietary specialists, feeding primarily on crayfish. They have been documented favoring crayfish that are freshly molted. R. septemvittata are especially sensitive to a chemical compound called ecdysone that is produced by crayfish during their molting cycle which help them find that prey easier. It is assumed they use a vomeronasal organ to detect the chemical. [13] One study done offered crayfish during their molting cycle and crayfish not on their molting cycle to queen snakes to see which they preferred. The results showed that the queen snakes would not eat the prey if it was not releasing ecdysone. If none of these prey can be found, queen snakes will resort to eating small fish. [14]
The eastern copperhead, also known simply as the copperhead, is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper, endemic to eastern North America; it is a member of the subfamily Crotalinae in the family Viperidae.
Opheodrys aestivus, commonly known as the rough green snake, is a nonvenomous North American colubrid. It is sometimes called grass snake or green grass snake, but these names are more commonly applied to the smooth green snake. The European colubrid called grass snake is not closely related. The rough green snake is docile, often allowing close approach by humans, and seldom bites. Even when bites occur, they have no venom and are harmless.
Nerodia rhombifer, commonly known as the diamondback water snake, is a species of nonvenomous natricine colubrid endemic to the central United States and northern Mexico. There are three recognized subspecies of N. rhombifer, including the nominotypical subspecies.
Nerodia erythrogaster, also known as the plain-bellied water snake or plainbelly water snake, is a common species of semi-aquatic, non-venomous colubrid snake endemic to the United States.
The Florida cottonmouth is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the United States, where it occurs in southern Georgia and the Florida peninsula in nearly every type of wetlands in the region, including brackish water and offshore islands. However, it is not entirely dependent on water and is occasionally encountered as far as a mile from surface water. Agkistrodon conanti venom is very hemolytic and known to cause relatively extensive necrosis compared to many snake venoms, and can sometimes be lethal with a 17% mortality rate. It is often confused with harmless watersnakes (Nerodia) and other semi-aquatic species with which it shares its habitat.
Regina is a genus of semiaquatic natricine colubrid snakes known as crayfish snakes, named after their primary choice of diet. The genus consists of two species which are found in the eastern and central United States.
The banded water snake or southern water snake is a species of mostly aquatic, nonvenomous, colubrid snakes most commonly found in the Midwest, Southeastern United States.
Nerodia clarkii, commonly known as the salt marsh snake, is a species of semi-aquatic, nonvenomous, colubrid snake found in the southeastern United States. Their range extends along the brackish salt marshes of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast from Texas to Florida, with an additional population in northern Cuba. Different subspecies of this snake are primarily identified via color patterns on each snake's belly, or anterior.
Storeria dekayi, commonly known as De Kay's brown snake, De Kay's snake, and simply the brown snake, is a small non-venomous species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to North America and Central America.
Regina grahamii, commonly known as Graham's crayfish snake, is a species of nonvenomous semiaquatic snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the central United States.
The crayfish snake, also known commonly as the glossy crayfish snake, the glossy swampsnake, the glossy water snake, and the striped water snake, is a species of semiaquatic snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States, and preys mainly on crayfish.
Kirtland's snake is a threatened or endangered North American species of nonvenomous snake of the subfamily Natricinae, of the family Colubridae. It is the only species in the genus Clonophis.
The striped crayfish snake is a species of semiaquatic North American snake in the family Colubridae. The species derives its common name from its principal prey, crayfish. This snake is also called Allen's snake, the striped swamp snake, the striped swampsnake, or simply the swamp snake. It is endemic to peninsular Florida. Although rarely seen due to its secretive behavior, it can be found in large numbers in wet areas, with densities approaching 1,300 snakes per hectare.
The copperbelly water snake or copperbelly is a subspecies of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to the Central United States.
The striped whipsnake is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. It is closely related to the California whipsnake. The striped whipsnake is native to the western United States and adjacent northern Mexico.
The green water snake is a common species of nonvenomous natricine snake endemic to the southeastern United States.
The brown water snake is a large species of nonvenomous natricine snake endemic to the southeastern United States. This snake is often one of the most abundant species of snakes found in rivers and streams of the southeastern United States, yet many aspects of its natural history are poorly known. Due to abundance and distribution throughout its biological range, this species could be used to investigate anthropogenic impacts on aquatic ecosystems by studying their movements.
The midland water snake, a subspecies of the northern water snake, is a nonvenomous natricine snake, which is endemic to North America.
Nerodia floridana, commonly known as the Florida green watersnake, or eastern green watersnake, is a harmless species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to the southeastern United States.
The common watersnake is a species of large, nonvenomous, common snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to North America. It is frequently mistaken for the venomous cottonmouth.
| Authority control databases: National |
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