Snake Species Flashcards
Southern coasts and deserts of CA
slender body, blunt head w/ no neck constriction, eyes vestigial, scales small smooth and cycloid, spine on tip of tail
Family, Genus & Species
Family: Leptotyphlopidae
Rena humilis
Ring around Central Valley, throughout N CA
tail extremely blunt, head scales large symmetrical plates, little to no patterning on body
Family, Genus & Species
Family: Charinidae
Charnia bottae
SE deserts and S coast
head scales small, often have three longitudinal stripes on dorsum
Family, Genus & Species
Family: Charinidae
Lichanura trivirgata
SE CA
hexagonal blothes on back, dark speckles on body, tail has broad black and white bands of = width anterior to rattle, light diagonal stripe behind eye hits upper lip anterior to the corner of the mouth
Family, Subfamily, Genus & Species
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Crotalus atrox
SE deserts
back generally pale w/ darker blotches, dark eyestrips, supraoculars hornlike
Family, Subfamily, Genus & Species
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Crotalus cerastes
SE deserts
dorsal petterning highly variable but often speckled w/ salt and pepper markings, dark bands on tale, prenasals separated from rostrals by small scales or supraoculars pitted/creased, ~ 4 small head scales b/w eyes
Superfamily, Family, Subfamily, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Crotalus mitchellii
most of CA except S deserts
light eyestripe extends to corner of mouth, body color variable, blotches on back edged w/ dark coloring, usually more than 2 internasals tough the rostral
Superfamily, Family, Subfamily, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Crotalus oreganus
extreme SW CA
body color tends to be more reddish, diamonds tend to be light-edged, speckling faint or absent, tail has broad black and white bands of equal width anterior to rattle, 1st pair of lower labials usually divided transversely
Superfamily, Family, Subfamily, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Crotalus ruber
Mojave Desert
patterning on back variable but well defined, light eyestripe extends beyond posterior corner of mouth, dark rings on tail narrower than light rings, enlarged scales on snouth and b/w supraoculars, 2 scales b/w eyes
Superfamily, Family, Subfamily, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Crotalinae
Crotalus scutulatus
central and southern CA
two prefrontals, smooth glossy dorsal scales, dorsal patterning white w/ brown spots, no patterning on venter
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Arizona elegans
Desert areas of SE CA
shovel-shaped snout, countersunk lower jaw, light w/ dark bands or saddles, orange or red saddles sometimes present b/w dark saddles
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Chionactic occipitalis
Everywhere, except deserts
plain green w/ yellow belly, no stripes, large eyes, young are blothcy, lower preocular wedged b/w upper labials, smooth scales
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Coluber constrictor
S coast, deserts, San Joaquin Valley, Great Basin
coloration variable, often reddish w/ black crossbars at neck, no stripes (alternating bands), wedged lower preocular
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Coluber flagellum
S coast and ring around Central Valley
dark base color w/ single solid yellow stripe on each side
Family, Genus & Species
Family: Colubridae
Coluber lateralis
Eastern Sierras
stripes on sides broken into many narrow stripes on dark background
Family, Genus & Species
Family: Colubridae
Coluber taeniatus
everywhere except extremem NW and NE CA
alternating black or brown and white or cream crossbands, light bands tend to widen ventrally, caudal scales doubled
Family, Genus & Species
Family: Colubridae
Lampropeltis californiae
Sierras, coast range, SW mountains
stripes, red in b/w sets of 2 black bands, caudal scales doubled
Family, Genus & Species
Family: Colubridae
Lampropeltis zonata
SE CA
rostral scale enlarged and leaf-shaped w/ free edges, pink, tan, or gray above w/ dark blotches, single anal scale
Family, Genus & Species
Family: Colubridae
Phylorhynchus decurtatus
statewide
dark blotches dorsally on lighter background, 4 prefrontal scales, mid-dorsal scales keeled, usually drak lateral stripe across head in front of eyes
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Pituophis catenifer
central and S CA, Great Basin
slin, light ground color, speckled w/ black saddles, belly whitish or yellow, single row of caudal scales, white spots on side of black bands
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Rhinochelius lecontei
S CA, Great Basin
enlarged rostral scale, broad yellow, tan, or beige dark bordered stripe, anal scale divided
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Famly: Colubridae
Salvadora hexalepis
SW CA, parts of coast range
brown body color, solid black cap on head descending ventrally below corner of mouth, broad red or orange ventral stripe
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Tantilla planiceps
SoCal
brown and blotchy, v-shaped markings on head, vertical pupils, head broad, neck slender, hexagonal markings on back divided by a light band
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Trimorphodon biscutatis
Sierras, coast range, S coast
gray to olive dorsally w/ orange ring around neck, orange to read ventrally, some spotting on stomach
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Diadophis punctatus
most of CA, except N regions and Central Valley
brown and blotchy, vertical pupils, brown bar or stripe though eye, large black or brown patch on neck
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Hypsiglena torquata
central and N coast and Coast Ranges, N Sierra foothills
reddish brown to gray above, contrasting white and black bars on ventrals, sharp spine at tail tip, 24-43 caudal scales
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Contia tenuis
most of N and central coast
dorsal stripe, usually eight upper labials, nine lower labials, internasals longer than wide and pointed in front, no red, highly variable coloration, 7th supralabial longer than 6th, 19 or 21 dorsal scale rows at midbody
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Thamnophis atratus
Sierra Nevadas
ucually checkered and usually lacking dorsal stripe, 8 upper labials, internasals longer than wide and pointed in front, 6th supralabial longer than 7th
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Thamnophis couchii
N CA, Sierras, and coast range
highly variable coloration, often red on sides, usually 8 upper labials (6th and 7th are largest) , 10 lower labials, chin shields equal in length, internasals wider than long and not pointed in front, usually 21 dorsal scale rows at midbody
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Thamnophis elegans
most of CA, except extreme S coast and S desert areas
Highly variable coloratio, usually 7 upper labials with dark wedge shapes in them, 10 lower labials, rear chin shields longer than fron, 19 dorsal scale rows at midbody, red checkering
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Thamnophis sirtalis
Introduced in Folson and Harbor City (LA)
Banded w/ brown/black bands w/ reddish/brown base color, bands continuous b/w dorsal and lateral surface along entire length of the body, dark eye strip exteds from posterior of eye to posterior edge of mouth, head narrower and rounder than other closely related sp
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Nerodia fasciata
Introduced to Roseville
similar banded pattern to closely related sp but on posterior half of body bands become disconnected and alternate, lacks eye stripe, head is wider and flatter than closely related sp
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Superfamily: Colubroidea
Family: Colubridae
Nerodia sipedon
occasionally occurs off the coast near San Diego
elongated head, dorsal nostrils, body and tail flattened to facilitate swimming, dark brown to black dorsally w/ bright or pale yellow ventral color, pelagic sp ranges from east coast of Africa to W coast of NA
Superfamily, Family, Genus & Species
Supefamily: Colubroidea
Family: Elapidae
Pelamis platura
