Snakes and Lizards in Your Pocket: A Guide to Reptiles of the Upper Midwest (Bur Oak Guide)

Vandewalle, Terry

ISBN 10: 1587298724 ISBN 13: 9781587298721

Verlag: UNIV OF IOWA PR, 2010

Inhaltsangabe

<div><p>From the rare and docile massasauga, which relies on camouflage to remain unnoticed, to the more familiar bullsnake, which defends itself by hissing loudly and vibrating its tail from an S-shaped striking position, to the eastern racer, often seen crawling at more than three miles an hour during daytime, snakes are beautiful animals with habits both fascinating and beneficial to humans. Their relatives the lizards, most of which are more easily seen and identified, exhibit similarly fascinating behavior. This colorful addition to our series of laminated guides informs both amateur and professional herpetologists about twenty-seven species of snakes and six species of lizards in the Upper Midwest states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, South Dakota, North Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri.</p><p>&#160;Terry VanDeWalle provides a complete description of each species, both adult and young, as well as distinguishing characteristics for thirty-two subspecies of snakes and two subspecies of lizards: length, color, head and neck patterns, scales, and so on. Also included is information about habitat preferences: forests, wet meadows, and sand prairies, for example. Most helpful for identifying snakes and lizards in the field are his comparisons of similar species and his comprehensive key.</p><p>&#160;Superb photographs by Suzanne Collins of adult and, when needed for identification, young snakes and lizards make this guide the perfect companion for hikers in all kinds of environments whenever a snake ripples across your path or a lizard darts into the underbrush.</p><p></p></div>

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

<div><p>Terry VanDeWalle as been researching reptiles and amphibians in the Midwest for almost twenty years. He is a principal scientist for Natural Resources Consulting, Inc., in Independence, Iowa. Wildlife photographer Suzanne Collins is an executive officer of the Center for North American Herpetology. </p></div>

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Snakes and Lizards in Your Pocket

By Terry VanDeWalle

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA PRESS

Copyright © 2010 University of Iowa Press
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-58729-872-1

Chapter One

SNAKES

Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis

RANGE: Eastern (T. s. sirtalis): IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI; Red-sided (T. s. parietalis): IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD SIZE: 16-26 inches, maximum 50 inches description: Medium-size dark brown or black snake with yellow or gray midback stripe and yellow stripe on sides confined to scale rows 2 and 3. Red-sided subspecies has red or orange bars separated by black bars on sides. Belly greenish or yellowish with 2 rows of black spots partially hidden by belly scales. Scales keeled, anal plate single. HABITAT: Meadows, marshes, woodlands, streams, city lots, parks SIMILAR SPECIES: Plains garter snake has stripe on sides on scale rows 3 and 4. Brown snake lacks stripe along sides, anal plate is divided.

Eastern ribbon snake Thamnophis sauritus

RANGE: Eastern (T. s. sauritus): IL, IN, OH; Northern (T. s. septentrionalis): IL, IN, MI, OH, WI SIZE: 18-26 inches, maximum 40 inches DESCRIPTION: Medium-size, slender black snake with yellow or orange midback stripe and yellow stripes on sides on scale rows 3 and 4. May have pair of faint spots on top of head that never touch each other. Tail long, approximately one-third of total length. Belly greenish white, unmarked. Scales keeled, anal plate single. HABITAT: Vegetation adjacent to swamps, ponds, marshes, creeks, rivers SIMILAR SPECIES: Western ribbon snake has pair of spots on top of head that touch each other. Plains garter snake has stripe on sides on scale rows 3 and 4, tail less than one-quarter of total length.

Plains garter snake Thamnophis radix

RANGE: IL, IN, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI SIZE: 15-28 inches, maximum 43 inches DESCRIPTION: Medium-size dark brown or black snake with orange-yellow midback stripe, yellow-gray stripe on sides on scale rows 3 and 4, 2 rows of black spots or blotches on sides. Black bars on lips, pair of brightly colored spots on top of head that may or may not touch. Belly gray-green with dark spots along edges. Scales keeled, anal plate single. HABITAT: Open grassy areas adjacent to water SIMILAR SPECIES: Common garter snake has stripe on sides on scale rows 2 and 3. Ribbon snakes have stripe on sides on scale rows 3 and 4 but are more slender with long tail one-quarter or more of total length.

Western ribbon snake Thamnophis proximus

RANGE: IL, IN, IA, KS, MO, NE, WI SIZE: 20-30 inches, maximum 48.5 inches DESCRIPTION: Medium-size, slender black snake with orange midback stripe, yellow or greenish stripes on sides on scale rows 3 and 4, pair of brightly colored spots on top of head that touch each other. Tail more than one-quarter of total length but usually less than one-third. Belly greenish white, unmarked. Scales keeled, anal plate single. HABITAT: Vegetation adjacent to swamps, ponds, marshes, creeks, rivers SIMILAR SPECIES: Eastern ribbon snake may have pair of spots on top of head that do not touch each other. Plains garter snake has stripe on sides on scale rows 3 and 4, tail less than one-quarter of total length.

Smooth green snake Liochlorophis vernalis

RANGE: IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI SIZE: 12-20 inches, maximum 26 inches DESCRIPTION: Slender, unpatterned bright lime green snake. Yellow upper lip, cream to pale yellow belly. Young dark olive or bluish gray. Scales smooth, anal plate divided. HABITAT: Wet prairies, bogs, meadows, marsh borders, open woodlands SIMILAR SPECIES: Rough green snake is more slender and longer and has keeled scales.

Rough green snake Opheodrys aestivus

RANGE: IL, IN, KS, MO, OH size: 22-32 inches, maximum 45.6 inches DESCRIPTION: Slender, unpatterned bright green snake. Upper lip and lower portion of head yellow. Belly white, yellow, or pale greenish. Young grayish green. Scales keeled, anal plate divided. HABITAT: Moist habitats along waterways in woodlands, marsh or lake borders, woodland edges SIMILAR SPECIES: Smooth green snake is not as long, scales smooth.

Brown snake Storeria dekayi

RANGE: Midland (S. d. wrightorum): IL, IN, IA, MI, MO, OH, WI; Northern (S. d. dekayi): IN, MI, OH; Texas (S. d. texana): IA, KS, MN, MO, SD, WI SIZE: 9-13 inches, maximum 20.75 inches DESCRIPTION: Grayish brown to dark brown snake with 2 parallel rows of black spots on back. Belly cream to pink with 1 or more small black dots at side of each scale. Subspecies can be distinguished by head and back patterns: northern has small blotch on back of head, dark downward stripe on side of head, 2 rows of unconnected spots on back; Texas has large blotch on back of head, no downward stripe on side of head, large spot under eye, 2 rows of unconnected spots on back; midland has small blotch on back of head, dark downward stripe on side of head, 2 rows of connected spots on back. Scales keeled, anal plate divided. HABITAT: Forests, prairies, marshes, old fields, farmland, city lots SIMILAR SPECIES: Redbelly snake has 15 scale rows and red, orange, or pale yellow belly. Garter snakes have single anal plates, light stripe on sides. Ringneck snake has smooth scales.

Ringneck snake Diadophis punctatus

RANGE: Mississippi (D. p. stictogenys): IL, MO; Northern (D. p. edwardsii): IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI; Prairie (D. p. arnyi): IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, SD, WI SIZE: 10-15 inches, maximum 27 inches DESCRIPTION: Bluish black, bluish gray, or black with yellow, orange, or cream ring around neck. Young may be darker above than adult. Belly yellow or orange with scattered dark spots. Subspecies differ in belly spots: northern is unmarked or has few spots, prairie has numerous irregularly placed spots, Mississippi has paired spots down middle of belly. Scales smooth, anal plate divided. HABITAT: Rocky hillsides, woodlands, woodland edges SIMILAR SPECIES: Brown snake and redbelly snake have dark blotches or spots on neck but scales are keeled.

Redbelly snake Storeria occipitomaculata

RANGE: Black Hills (S. o. pahasapae): IA, MN, NE, ND, SD; Northern (S. o. occipitomaculata): IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, OH, SD, WI SIZE: 8-10 inches, maximum 16 inches DESCRIPTION: Little dark brown, olive-black, or grayish snake with 3 small, separate light spots on neck and 4 narrow dark stripes or 1 wide light stripe on midback and bright red, orange, or pale yellow belly. Subspecies can be distinguished by head and neck patterns: northern has 3 well-defined neck spots, light spot on upper lip; Black Hills has very small or no neck spots, no light spot on upper lip. Scales keeled, anal plate divided. HABITAT: Forests, moist woods, wet meadows, marshes, prairies SIMILAR SPECIES: Brown snake has 2 rows of parallel black spots on back, cream to pink belly with small black dots at side of each belly scale.

Lined snake Tropidoclonion lineatum

RANGE: IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, SD SIZE: 8.75-15 inches, maximum 22 inches DESCRIPTION: Small, slender gray-brown to olive-brown snake with cream, yellow, or orange midback stripe, similarly colored...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: UNIV OF IOWA PR
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2010
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1587298724
• ISBN 13: 9781587298721
• Einband: Landkarte
• Anzahl der Seiten: 1
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar