Southern ribbon snake
Subspecies of snake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The subspecies is native to the southeastern United States, and is one of four subspecies of the ribbon snake (Thamnophis saurita).
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| Southern ribbon snake | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Thamnophis |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | T. s. sackenii |
| Trinomial name | |
| Thamnophis saurita sackenii (Kennicott, 1859) | |
| Synonyms[1][2][3] | |
Etymology
The subspecific name, sackenii, is in honor of Russian entomologist Carl Robert Romanovich von der Osten-Sacken.[4]
Geographic distribution
The southern ribbon snake occurs in the southeastern United States in extreme southern South Carolina, southeastern Georgia, and peninsular Florida, at elevations from sea level to 500 feet (150 meters).[5]
Description
Thamnophis saurita sackenii is smaller than the other three subspecies of T. saurita. Adults of T. s. sackenii are 16–30 in (41–76 cm) in total length (tail included). The dorsal color is greenish olive, or blackish in old specimens. It has a dorsal stripe that is vetiver green or light olive-gray bordered on either side with black, and the lateral stripes are marguerite yellow.[6]
Habitat and behavior
Reproduction
Thamnophis saurita sackenii is ovoviviparous.[1] Litter size is small, numbering only 5–12 newborns.[2]