![]() ![]() The northern ringneck snake is found in the eastern half of Tennessee, and it has a complete ring all the way around its neck. There are two sub-species of ringneck snake. The ringneck snake also has a bright yellow belly. The difference between them is the yellow or orange band around the snake’s neck, which gives the ringneck snake its name. This slender snake looks a lot like an eastern wormsnake. You will also find these snakes in vacant city lots, parks, old farms, and cemeteries. That’s where they find the fish, tadpoles, and frogs they mainly eat. They prefer locations near water, such as wetlands, ponds, streams, or drainage ditches. You will find common garter snakes in a variety of habitats. The area between these stripes usually contains two rows of alternating dark spots, like a checkerboard. These stripes may be yellow, brown, green, blue, or even white.Įvery now and then you will find a garter snake without these stripes. One stripe is on the snake’s back, and the other two are on each side of the snake. Usually, a common garter snake has 3 light stripes on its body. This is a medium-sized snake with various color patterns. Garter snakes are one of the most common species of snake you’ll find in Tennessee. According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, you are most likely to find one of these snakes underneath a rotten log in the Unaka Mountains. Worm snakes are thought to be common in Tennessee, though this is difficult to assess due to how adept they are at hiding. ![]() This includes earthworms, grubs, and insect larvae. These smooth-scaled snakes eat soft-bodied prey. Their bark brown back and light pink belly often have an iridescent sheen to their scales. These snakes only grow to around 11 inches in length. You can identify eastern worm snakes by their small size and shiny color. As a result, this is a very secretive snake, preferring to remain underground or under cover such as rocks, rotten logs, or leaf litter. This snake has a small, pointed head, perfect for burrowing in crevices or cracks in the ground. Let’s take a closer look at some of these snakes. Most of the snakes in Tennessee are not venomous. Yellow-bellied kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster).Western ribbon snake (Thamnophis proximus).Southeastern crowned snake (Tantilla coronata).Ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus).Red-bellied snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus).Red-bellied mudsnake (Farancia abacura).Pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius).Plain-bellied watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster).North American racer (Coluber constrictor).Mississippi green watersnake (Nerodia cyclopion).Gray rat snake (Pantherophis spiloides).Eastern worm snake (Carphophis amoenus amoenus).Eastern ribbon snake (Thamnophis sauritus).Eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos).Diamond-backed watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer).Common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis).Coachwhip snake (Masticophis flagellum).Understanding what species of snake you will find in Tennessee, how to identify them, and where and when you will find them is key to your safety. Juveniles might be confused with adults of the Texas brownsnake.1.4 When Are Tennessee Snakes Most Active? What Snakes Live In Tennessee? The belly of the orange-striped ribbonsnakes has no spots or other markings and is cream to bluish in color. The Texas gartersnake has white upper labials with distinct vertical black marks between each scale the area in front of and behind the eye is light colored (not white). The orange-striped ribbonsnake has white along scales of the upper jaw with no markings on them and a distinct vertical white bar in front of the eye preceded by a distinct black mark. A much easier way to distinguish between these two snakes is to carefully examine the side of the head. The lateral stripe in the Texas gartersnake is on the second and third scale rows. The only similar species is the Texas gartersnake, which also has a mid-dorsal yellow stripe and is lateral stripe on each side of the body. Orange-striped ribbonsnakes are thin-bodied, moderately sized snakes with distinctly keeled scales that can be distinguished from all other snakes in the region by a combination of a dark background color, a very distinct uninterrupted yellow or orange stripe extending from the neck to the tip of the tail, and a well-defined yellow, bluish, or white stripe on the third and fourth scale rows, also extending the full length of the body and tail. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |