| 词条 | Western ground snake |
| 释义 |
| status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = [1] | name = Western ground snake | image = Sonora semiannulata semiannulata, Ozark County, Missouri, by Peter Paplanus.jpg | genus = Sonora | species = semiannulata | authority = Baird and Girard, 1853 | synonyms = *Sonora semiannulata Baird and Girard, 1853
| synonyms_ref =[2][3] }} The western ground snake (Sonora semiannulata) is a species of small, harmless colubrid snake. The species is endemic to North America. It is sometimes referred to as the common ground snake or variable ground snake, as its patterning and coloration can vary widely, even within the same geographic region.[4] Another common name is miter snake referring to the head marking which suggests a bishop's miter; the synonym "episcopus " (Latin for "bishop") is a similar allusion. Geographic rangeS. semiannulata is native to the Southwestern United States, in Arizona, Nevada, California, Colorado, Kansas, [[Missouri ]], New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah, as well as northern Mexico, in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, and Sonora. DescriptionThe western ground snake can grow to a total length (including tail) of 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 cm). The color and pattern can vary widely. Individuals can be brown, red, or orange, with black banding, orange or brown striping, or be solid-colored. The underside is typically white or gray. It has smooth dorsal scales, a small head, and the pupil of the eye is round. HabitatThe preferred habitat of S. semiannulata is dry, rocky areas with loose soil. BehaviorThe western ground snake is typically nocturnal and secretive, but it is common throughout its range. It is often found on roadsides, or in dry drainage ditches at night, foraging for food. DietThe diet of S. semiannulata consists primarily of invertebrates, such as spiders, scorpions, centipedes, crickets, and insect larvae. ReproductionThe western ground snake is oviparous, breeding and laying eggs through the summer months. TaxonomySonora semiannulata was once broken up into five separate subspecies, based on the vast differences in color and patterning that the species displays, but recent research has shown that the various colors and patterns of ground snake interbreed indiscriminately, making distinction between them impossible and thus not warranting subspecies status, though some sources still refer to them, using geography as a basis rather than morphology. References1. ^Frost, D.R., Hammerson, G.A. & Santos-Barrera, G. 2007. Sonora semiannulata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2007: e.T63925A12728616. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63925A12728616.en. Downloaded on 12 October 2018. 2. ^"Sonora semiannulata ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. 3. ^Stejneger, L., and T. Barbour (1917). A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 125 pp. (Sonora, p. 92). 4. ^Stebbins, R.C. (2003). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition. The Peterson Field Guides Series ®. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. xiii + 533 pp. {{ISBN|0-395-98272-3}}. (Sonora semiannulata, pp. 391–393 + Plate 45 + Map 170). External links
Further reading
5 : Colubrids|Fauna of the Southwestern United States|Reptiles of Mexico|Fauna of the Plains-Midwest (United States)|Reptiles described in 1853 |
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