Mexican yellow-bellied brown snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Storeria hidalgoensis |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Storeria
|
| Species: |
hidalgoensis
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
The Storeria hidalgoensis, also known as the Mexican yellow-bellied brown snake, is a non-venomous snake. It belongs to the Colubridae family. This snake lives only in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains of Mexico.
Contents
About the Mexican Yellow-bellied Brown Snake
How Scientists Classified This Snake
For a long time, scientists thought the Mexican yellow-bellied brown snake was just a type of another snake, Storeria occipitomaculata. But in 1942, a scientist named Edward Harrison Taylor said it was its own special species. Later, in 1944, another scientist thought it was just a subspecies again. Finally, in 1993, Flores-Villela confirmed it was a full species. This was partly because it lives in a different area.
The first example of this snake ever studied, called the holotype, is kept at the University of Illinois Museum of Natural History. It was collected by E.H. Taylor in 1938.
Where This Snake Lives
You can find the Mexican yellow-bellied brown snake in the eastern and south-central parts of Mexico. It lives in areas like Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, eastern San Luis Potosí, and northeastern Hidalgo. These snakes live at high places, usually between 1,400 and 1,800 meters (about 4,600 to 5,900 feet) above sea level.
What This Snake Looks Like
Adult Mexican yellow-bellied brown snakes are small and thin. They can grow up to 33.7 centimeters (about 13 inches) long. Their back can be gray, light brown, tan, reddish, or dark brown. They often have small gray specks, but no dark spots or stripes.
The belly of the snake can be gray or pink. Sometimes it has dark gray coloring on the sides. Its head is black, especially at the back. It usually has a light spot behind each eye.
Where This Snake Makes Its Home
This snake lives on the ground. It can be found in different types of forests. These include cloud forests, pine forests, pine-oak forests, and fir forests.
Reproduction
Storeria hidalgoensis snakes are viviparous. This means they give birth to live young, instead of laying eggs.
What This Snake Eats
Scientists do not know much about what these snakes eat. More study is needed to learn about their diet and other behaviors.
Meaning of Its Name
The name hidalgoensis comes from the Mexican state of Hidalgo. This is where the first snake of its kind was found. The Latin ending -ensis means "belonging to."
