Thamnophis saurita septentrionalis

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Northern ribbon snake
Thamnophis saurita ssp. septentrionalis.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Thamnophis
Species:
Subspecies:
T. s. septentrionalis
Trinomial name
Thamnophis saurita septentrionalis
Rossman, 1963

Thamnophis saurita septentrionalis, the northern ribbon snake, is a subspecies of garter snake. It is one of four subspecies of the ribbon snake ( Thamnophis saurita ) and occurs in the United States and Canada in southern Maine, southern Ontario, Michigan, New York, Nova Scotia, northern Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. It is listed as a state endangered species in Wisconsin. It is a slender black or brown snake with three bright-yellow or white stripes on its back and sides. [1] The head is black, with the scales alongside the mouth being white. The underside is also white or light yellow, but it is mostly white on juveniles and adults. Adult ribbon snakes are 45–65 cm (18–26 in) in length. [1]

Ribbon snakes inhabit marshes or live near the edges of lakes, ponds, and streams. They swim well, and their diets include frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, small fish, and insects.

Northern ribbon snakes have from 3 to 26 young, which are born in late summer. The young snakes are 7 to 9 inches (18 to 23 cm) long and are colored the same as the adults. As with most garter snakes, the mother gives birth to live young (ovoviviparous).

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common garter snake</span> Species of snake

The common garter snake is a species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is indigenous to North America and found widely across the continent. There are several recognized subspecies. Most common garter snakes have a pattern of yellow stripes on a black, brown or green background, and their average total length is about 55 cm (22 in), with a maximum total length of about 137 cm (54 in). The average body mass is 150 g (5.3 oz). The common garter snake is the state reptile of Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas A. Rossman</span>

Douglas Athon "Dag" Rossman was a U.S. herpetologist specializing in garter snakes. He studied at the University of Florida, where he was awarded a Ph.D. in 1961.

<i>Thamnophis saurita</i> Species of snake

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco garter snake</span> Subspecies of snake

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern garter snake</span> Subspecies of snake

The eastern garter snake is a medium-sized snake indigenous to North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plains garter snake</span> Species of snake

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<i>Thamnophis saurita saurita</i> Subspecies of snake

Thamnophis saurita saurita, the eastern ribbon snake or common ribbon snake, is one of four subspecies of the ribbon snake found in the southeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western terrestrial garter snake</span> Species of snake

The western terrestrial garter snake is a western North American species of colubrid snake. At least five subspecies are recognized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquatic garter snake</span> Species of snake

The aquatic garter snake is a species of colubrid snake. Three subspecies are currently recognized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern ribbon snake</span> Subspecies of snake

The southern ribbon snake(Thamnophis saurita sackenii), also known commonly as the peninsula ribbon snake and the Florida ribbon snake, is a subspecies of garter snake in the family Colubridae. It is one of four subspecies of the ribbon snake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackneck garter snake</span> Species of snake

Thamnophis cyrtopsis, the blackneck garter snake, is a species of garter snake of the genus Thamnophis. It is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico and Guatemala, and can be found in a wide range of different habitats, often near water sources.

<i>Thamnophis proximus</i> Species of snake

Thamnophis proximus, commonly known as the western ribbon snake or western ribbonsnake, is a species of garter snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is found in the central and southern United States, Mexico, and Central America south to central Costa Rica. The species has six recognized subspecies.

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The Chicago garter snake, is a subspecies of the common garter snake native to the Chicago, United States, region. It was described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1892, and can be found in the vicinity of rural waterways in northeastern Illinois, such as Piscasaw Creek in Boone County and McHenry County, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California red-sided garter snake</span> Subspecies of snake

The California red-sided garter snake is a subspecies of the common garter snake. This slender subspecies of natricine snake is indigenous to North America and is one of three recognized subspecies of Thamnophis sirtalis found in California. While commonly confused with the subspecies T. s. concinnus, it is biologically part of the population of the subspecies T. s. tetrataenia, as pointed out by Boundy and Rossman (1995), but was preserved as T. s. infernalis as a neotype under ICZN code Article 75 in a 2000 decision by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) in 2000 in order to preserve the existing subspecies taxonomy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluestripe ribbon snake</span> Subspecies of snake

The bluestripe ribbon snake, which belongs in the same family as the garter snakes, is a subspecies of the ribbon snake that occurs along the Gulf Coast in Florida. Adults are thin and are black with a mid-dorsal stripe that is a lighter shade of black and two blue stripes, hence the name "bluestripe ribbon snake". They are semi-aquatic and are active during the day. They can be found by lakes, rivers, and slow-moving streams.

References

  1. 1 2 "Northern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus)". Natural Resources Canada. 2007-09-24. Archived from the original on 2011-08-30.