Storeria occipitomaculata

Storeria occipitomaculata, commonly known as the redbelly snake or the red-bellied snake, is a species of snake endemic to North America (Canada and the United States).[1][2]

Storeria occipitomaculata
Redbelly snake
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Storeria
Species:
S. occipitomaculata
Binomial name
Storeria occipitomaculata
(Storer, 1839)
Synonyms
  • Coluber occipitomaculatus
    Storer, 1839
  • Storeria occipitomaculata
    — Baird & Girard, 1853
  • Ischnognathus occipitomaculatus
    — Günther, 1858

Description

S. occipitomaculata is a small woodland species that ranges from 4–10 in (10-25 cm) long. Their colors range from an orange to gray, black, or brown. They can be distinguished from other species from their bright red or orange underbelly.[3]

Habitat

S. occipitomaculata prefers warmer habitats and in the more Northern limits of its range will inhabit abandoned ant mounds. These mounds absorb solar radiation and are insulated which allows for a longer active season. This species, with large eyes and a kinetic skull, are not able to burrow on their own effectively and abandoned ant mounds allow them access to a warm area to retreat to.[4] Individuals of this species can be found under logs and leafy debris due to their secretive nature.[3]

Reproduction

Redbelly snakes have been studied to reproduce annually and females have been found to be gravid during the spring and early summer.[5] While body size varies throughout the redbelly snake's region, the average clutch size tends to remain the same with an average of 7-9 eggs per clutch.[4] Redbelly snakes begin mating at around two years of age and must be a minimum of 22 cm in order to reach sexual maturity.[6]

Subspecies

Three subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, are recognized as being valid:[2]

References
  1. Hammerson, G.A. (2007). "Storeria occipitomaculata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2007: e.T63930A12729296. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63930A12729296.en. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  2. Storeria occipitomaculata at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 30 January 2022.
  3. "Species Profile: Redbellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata) | SREL Herpetology". srelherp.uga.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  4. Cairns, Nicholas A.; Rutherford, Pamela L.; Hoysak, Drew J. (2018). "Morphology, reproduction, habitat use, and hibernation of Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata) near its northern range limit". The Canadian Field-Naturalist. 132 (2): 150–162. doi:10.22621/cfn.v132i2.2054. ISSN 0008-3550. S2CID 92805723.
  5. Semlitsch, Raymond D.; Moran, Gary B. (1984). "Ecology of the Redbelly Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata) Using Mesic Habitats in South Carolina". The American Midland Naturalist. 111 (1): 33–40. doi:10.2307/2425539. ISSN 0003-0031. JSTOR 2425539.
  6. Semlitsch, Raymond D.; Moran, Gary B. (January 1984). "Ecology of the Redbelly Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata) Using Mesic Habitats in South Carolina". American Midland Naturalist. 111 (1): 33. doi:10.2307/2425539. JSTOR 2425539.


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