The Texas scarlet snake ( Cemophora lineri) is a species of nonvenomous snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to the South Central United States. It was previously considered a subspecies of Cemophora coccinea.
Etymology
The specific name or epithet,
lineri, is in honor of American herpetologist Ernest A. Liner (1925–2010), who collected the first specimen in 1963.
[Beltz, Ellin (2006). Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America – Explained. [1]][Bo Beolens; Watkins, Michael; Michael Grayson (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . ( Cemophora coccinea lineri, p. 159).]
Geographic range
C. lineri is found in southern
Texas. Its range does not overlap with the other species of scarlet snake.
[Powell R, Conant R, Collins JT (2016). Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiv + 494 pp., 47 plates, 207 figures. . ( Cemophora coccinea lineri, pp. 367–368 + Plates 32, 44 + Figure 159 on p. 330).]
Description
The Texas scarlet snake is the larger of the two scarlet snake
species, and is capable of growing to a total length (including tail) of 66 cm (26 inches). It has a gray or white background color, with distinct red blotches that have black borders. Unlike the other
species, the black borders do not join on the sides. Its belly is a solid white or gray.
Behavior
Like all scarlet snakes (
genus Cemophora), the Texas scarlet snake is a secretive burrower, spending most of its time under ground. It prefers sandy thicket habitats along the Gulf of Mexico coastline.
Diet
The preferred diet of
C. lineri is the eggs of other reptiles, but it will also eat small
and
.
Further reading
-
Behler JL, King FW (1979). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 743 pp. . ( Cemophora coccinea lineri, p. 593).
-
Conant R (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. + Plates 1–48 (hardcover), (paperback). ( Cemophora coccinea lineri, p. 212 + Map 152).
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Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. (paperback), (hardcover). ( Cemophora coccinea lineri, p. 178).
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Weinell, Jeffrey L.; (2017). "Refugia and Speciation in North American Scarlet Snakes ( Cemophora)". Journal of Herpetology 51: 161–171. ( Cemophora lineri, new status).
-
Williams KL, , Wilson LD (1966). "A new subspecies of the colubrid snake Cemophora coccinea (Blumenbach) from Southern Texas". Texas Journal of Science 18: 85–88. ( Cemophora coccinea lineri, new subspecies).
