Biol. 452 - Snake Specimen Photos

SNAKE SPECIMEN PHOTOS

Biol. 452 - Vertebrate Natural History

K. Petersen's Home Page Biol. 452 Home Page

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ORDER SQUAMATA Family Boidae Rubber Boa	Dorsal view - They have relatively small eyes compared to members of the Colubridae & a short, blunt tail. The head has no enlarged scales behind eyes.	Ventral view - They have no enlarged chin shields & narrower ventral scutes than the Elapidae or Colubridae.	The small spurs at either side of the cloaca are remnants of the pelvic limbs. Males use these during mating to excite the female.
ORDER SQUAMATA Family Elapidae Eastern Coral Snake	Dorsal view - This species has a small head, and particularly small eyes. Faint traces of the red banding can be seen.	Lateral view - look at the small, anteriorly placed fangs. These teeth are not retractable (as are viper fangs). This fang position is called proteroglyphous.	Ventral view - bands of black, yellow & red circle body - yellow & red bands only visible as nearly white regions.

ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Colubridae skeleton
ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae skeleton

ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae - rattle from a western rattlesnake
ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae - rattle from an unknown species of rattlesnake

ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae. Lateral view of skull showing lower jaws & erectable fangs.
ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae. Dorsal view of skull showing highly elongated quadrate bones that connect to cranium & to lower jaws.

ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae. Close up, lateral view of solenoglyphous fangs. (Referring to the opening at the top where venom travels through fang.)
ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae. Close up, anterior view of fangs. See notes at left.

TAXA DORSAL VIEWS VENTRAL VIEWS

ORDER SQUAMATA
Family Viperidae

Western Rattlesnake
Locate the heat sensitive loreal pit below nostril. They have a triangular shaped head with a dark stripe from eye to angle of jaw & keeled, dorsal scales.
They have a thick, short tail that ends in a rattle.

ORDER SQUAMATA
Family Colubridae

Racer
They may have large, relatively slender bodies with; smooth dorsal scales & uniform color.
They have a divided anal plate.

ORDER SQUAMATA
Family Colubridae

Striped Whipsnake
They are very long & slender with smooth dorsal scales & 2 or more light & dark longitudinal stripes. Note their extremely large eye size.
They have a divided anal plate. The hemipenis is exposed in this specimen.

ORDER SQUAMATA
Family Colubridae

Gopher Snake
A distinct dark stripe extends across head & through eyes. Dorsal scales are keeled & they have dark blotches down the back.
They have an undivided (entire) anal plate.

ORDER SQUAMATA
Family Colubridae

California Mountain Kingsnake

Head is black with a white ring on back of head. Smooth dorsal scales in an alternate white & black ring pattern with black rings spit with red.

Undivided (entire) anal plate. White, black & red markings extend across ventral side, but markings are irregular.

ORDER SQUAMATA
Family Colubridae

Long-nosed Snake

Rostrum tapered & extends beyond lower jaw; Rostrum lightly mottled, with back of head black; dorsal scales smooth; black banding separated by broad bands of mottled white, cream or yellow

Anal plate undivided (single); most caudal scutes are single; no dark banding on the ventral scutes.

ORDER SQUAMATA
Family Dipsadidae

Ringneck Snake
They have small, slender bodies, smooth dorsal scales & a bright orange-red neck band.
They have a divided anal plate & orange color (lost in preserved specimens) on the ventral side of its tail.

ORDER SQUAMATA
Family Natricidae

Common Garter Snake
Keeled dorsal scales. Back has 1 central dorsal stripe combined with either lateral stripes or a blotched pattern. This species has ~10 lower & 7 upper labial scales & 2 prefrontal scales.
This is a small specimen, but the species can be large & heavy-bodied. They have an undivided (entire) anal plate.

ORDER SQUAMATA
Family Xenodontidae

Western Hognose Snake
The sharply upturned rostral scale aids burrowing. They have keeled dorsal scales.
They have a divided anal plate.

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ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Colubridae skeleton	ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae skeleton
ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae - rattle from a western rattlesnake	ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae - rattle from an unknown species of rattlesnake
ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae. Lateral view of skull showing lower jaws & erectable fangs.	ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae. Dorsal view of skull showing highly elongated quadrate bones that connect to cranium & to lower jaws.
ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae. Close up, lateral view of solenoglyphous fangs. (Referring to the opening at the top where venom travels through fang.)	ORDER SQUAMATA - Family Viperidae. Close up, anterior view of fangs. See notes at left.

TAXA	DORSAL VIEWS	VENTRAL VIEWS
ORDER SQUAMATA Family Viperidae Western Rattlesnake	Locate the heat sensitive loreal pit below nostril. They have a triangular shaped head with a dark stripe from eye to angle of jaw & keeled, dorsal scales.	They have a thick, short tail that ends in a rattle.
ORDER SQUAMATA Family Colubridae Racer	They may have large, relatively slender bodies with; smooth dorsal scales & uniform color.	They have a divided anal plate.
ORDER SQUAMATA Family Colubridae Striped Whipsnake	They are very long & slender with smooth dorsal scales & 2 or more light & dark longitudinal stripes. Note their extremely large eye size.	They have a divided anal plate. The hemipenis is exposed in this specimen.
ORDER SQUAMATA Family Colubridae Gopher Snake	A distinct dark stripe extends across head & through eyes. Dorsal scales are keeled & they have dark blotches down the back.	They have an undivided (entire) anal plate.
ORDER SQUAMATA Family Colubridae California Mountain Kingsnake	Head is black with a white ring on back of head. Smooth dorsal scales in an alternate white & black ring pattern with black rings spit with red.	Undivided (entire) anal plate. White, black & red markings extend across ventral side, but markings are irregular.
ORDER SQUAMATA Family Colubridae Long-nosed Snake	Rostrum tapered & extends beyond lower jaw; Rostrum lightly mottled, with back of head black; dorsal scales smooth; black banding separated by broad bands of mottled white, cream or yellow	Anal plate undivided (single); most caudal scutes are single; no dark banding on the ventral scutes.
ORDER SQUAMATA Family Dipsadidae Ringneck Snake	They have small, slender bodies, smooth dorsal scales & a bright orange-red neck band.	They have a divided anal plate & orange color (lost in preserved specimens) on the ventral side of its tail.
ORDER SQUAMATA Family Natricidae Common Garter Snake	Keeled dorsal scales. Back has 1 central dorsal stripe combined with either lateral stripes or a blotched pattern. This species has ~10 lower & 7 upper labial scales & 2 prefrontal scales.	This is a small specimen, but the species can be large & heavy-bodied. They have an undivided (entire) anal plate.
ORDER SQUAMATA Family Xenodontidae Western Hognose Snake	The sharply upturned rostral scale aids burrowing. They have keeled dorsal scales.	They have a divided anal plate.