Western ground snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Western ground snake |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Sonora
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| Species: |
semiannulata
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The western ground snake (Sonora semiannulata) is a small, harmless snake. It is a type of colubrid snake, which is a large family of snakes. This snake is found only in North America.
People sometimes call it the common ground snake or variable ground snake. This is because its patterns and colors can look very different, even among snakes living in the same area! Another name is miter snake. This name comes from a marking on its head that looks like a bishop's miter (a special hat). The scientific name "episcopus" also means "bishop" in Latin.
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Where Western Ground Snakes Live
The western ground snake, S. semiannulata, lives in the Southwestern United States. You can find it in states like Arizona, Nevada, California, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Utah. It also lives in northern Mexico, in areas like Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, and Sonora.
What Western Ground Snakes Look Like
Western ground snakes are small. They can grow to be about 8 to 19 inches (20 to 48 centimeters) long, including their tail.
Their color and patterns can change a lot. Some snakes are brown, red, or orange. They might have black bands, orange or brown stripes, or be a solid color all over. The underside of their body is usually white or gray. They have smooth dorsal scales (scales on their back), a small head, and round pupils in their eyes.
Western Ground Snake Homes
Western ground snakes like to live in dry, rocky places. They prefer areas with loose soil where they can easily burrow or hide.
How Western Ground Snakes Behave
The western ground snake is usually active at night. This means it is a nocturnal animal. It is also quite secretive, meaning it likes to stay hidden. Even though it's secretive, it's common in the places where it lives. You might spot one on roadsides or in dry ditches at night while it's looking for food.
What Western Ground Snakes Eat
The diet of the western ground snake mainly includes invertebrates. These are small creatures without backbones. They eat things like spiders, scorpions, centipedes, crickets, and insect larvae (young insects).
Western Ground Snake Reproduction
Western ground snakes are oviparous. This means they lay eggs. They usually breed and lay their eggs during the summer months.
About Western Ground Snake Types
In the past, scientists thought there were five different types (or subspecies) of Sonora semiannulata. They based this on how different their colors and patterns looked. However, newer research shows that these different-looking ground snakes actually breed with each other freely. This means they are all part of the same species, even if they look different. So, scientists no longer consider them separate subspecies.
