| Cemophora coccinea | |
|---|---|
| scarlet snake | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Colubrinae |
| Genus: | Cemophora |
| Species: | C. coccinea |
| Binomial name | |
| Cemophora coccinea (Blumenbach, 1788)[1] |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Coluber coccineus Blumenbach, 1788 |
|
Cemophora coccinea is a nonvenomous species of colubrid snake commonly known as the scarlet snake. It is the only member of its genus. They are native to the southeastern United States. There are three subspecies of C. coccinea.
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Scarlet snakes are relatively small snakes, growing to 14-26 inches (36–66 cm) at adult size. They are a base light gray in color, with black bordered red blotches down their back. Their belly is a uniform light gray color. Their blotches can extend down to the sides of the body, appearing somewhat like banding, which sometimes leads to confusion with the venomous coral snake or the harmless scarlet king snake.
Scarlet snakes are nocturnal, and generally spend their day hiding under leaf litter or fallen logs, and venture out in the evenings to forage for food. They feed on lizards, small rodents, reptile eggs, and even other snakes.
Scarlet snakes are oviparous, generally laying 3-8 eggs per clutch. Breeding occurs throughout the spring months, and eggs are laid throughout the summer and hatch in the early fall.
They are found only in the United states, in: southeastern Texas, eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware; with disjunct populations in New Jersey and central Missouri.