Farancia
| Farancia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Farancia erytrogramma | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Subfamily: | Xenodontinae |
| Genus: | Farancia Gray, 1842 |
Farancia is a genus of colubrid snakes. It consists of two species, one commonly referred to as the rainbow snake and the other commonly referred to as the mud snake. They are native to the eastern half of the United States.
Description
Adult specimens of Farancia species are usually to 36-54 inches (92-137 cm) in total length (including tail).[1] They are usually dark brown or black dorsally, with a brightly colored underside that is red or orange. Rainbow snakes exhibit red striping down their backs.
Behaviour
The snakes of this genus are typically semi-aquatic, living in the muddy edges of slow moving, permanent water sources.
Diet
Their diet consists primarily of amphiumas, eels, and sirens.
Reproduction
Breeding occurs in early spring, and eggs are laid in a burrow near the water in early summer. The clutch incubates between 8–12 weeks, and hatches in mid-autumn.
Species and subspecies
- Farancia abacura - Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky.
- Farancia erytrogramma - Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland.
- rainbow snake, Farancia erytrogramma erytrogramma (Palisot de Beauvois, 1802)
- Florida rainbow snake, Farancia erytrogramma seminola (Neill, 1964)
References
- ↑ Conant, R. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern & Central North America, Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. + Plates 1-48. ISBN 0-395-19979-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Farancia, pp. 176-177 + Plate 25 + Maps 137-138).
Further reading
- Gray JE. 1842. Monographic Synopsis of the Water Snakes, or the Family HYDRIDÆ. Zoological Miscellany [2]: 59-68. (Farancia, new genus, p. 68).