Rhadinella godmani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rhadinella godmani |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Rhadinella
|
| Species: |
godmani
|
Rhadinella godmani, also known as Godman's graceful brown snake, is a type of snake. In Spanish, people call it la culebra-café de Godman or la lagartijerita de Godman. This snake lives in Central America and southern Mexico. There are two main kinds, or subspecies, of this snake.
Contents
Where Godman's Graceful Brown Snake Lives
Rhadinella godmani can be found in the very southeastern part of Mexico. This includes the Mexican states of Chiapas and Oaxaca. It also lives in several Central American countries: Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Panama.
Snake Homes: Where They Live
This snake prefers to live in forests. It can be found high up in the mountains, at heights between 1,200 m (3,900 ft) and 2,650 m (8,690 ft) (about 3,900 ft (1,200 m) to 8,700 ft (2,700 m)). Sometimes, it is also seen in grassy areas like pastures.
What Godman's Graceful Brown Snake Looks Like
The longest Rhadinella godmani snake ever measured was about 44.5 cm (17.5 in) long. That's about the length of a school ruler and a half! Its tail was about 13 cm (5.1 in) long. The scales on its back, called dorsal scales, are arranged in 21 rows along its body.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Rhadinella godmani is an oviparous snake. This means that the female snake lays eggs. The baby snakes then hatch from these eggs.
Different Kinds of Godman's Graceful Brown Snake
There are two recognized subspecies of Rhadinella godmani. A subspecies is like a slightly different version of the same animal.
- Rhadinella godmani godmani (first described by Günther in 1865)
- Rhadinella godmani zilchi (first described by Mertens in 1952)
Why the Snake Has Its Name
The name godmani honors a British naturalist named Frederick DuCane Godman. A naturalist is someone who studies nature.
The name zilchi for the second subspecies honors a German scientist named Adolf Michael Zilch. He was a malacologist, which means he studied mollusks like snails and slugs.
