Squamata suborder Serpentes
Tropidoclonion lineatum -- Lined Snake
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Squamata suborder Serpentes
|
|
|
Search for another IL amphibian or reptile Search for IL amphibians & reptiles by county Go to the INHS Amphibian & Reptile Collection homepage Search the INHS collections data for amphibians & reptiles Search the INHS Type Specimen Data for amphibians & reptiles |  
Purple shade indicates vouchered specimens. Light blue (cyan)
shade indicates photographic records. Yellow shade indicates verified
sighting. |
|
Key Characteristics: White to gray midback stripe and another on each side; double row of dark half-moons extends down the midbelly; back scales keeled; anal plate not divided. Similar Species: Common garter snake, plains garter snake. Subspecies: Northern lined snake, T. l. lineatum. Description: Small (up to 35 cm TL), slender olive brown to gray-brown snake. Each pale stripe is bordered by a row of minute black dots (dots more conspicuous in young). Head small, barely wider than body. Habitat: Grasslands and urban lots in former prairie, where it is found under rocks, logs, leaves, boards, and other debris. Natural History: Active March to November, spending less time at the surface during hot summers and more after heavy rains. Mates in late August and 5-10 young are born the following August or September. Newborn are 7-12 cm TL. This secretive and semifossorial nocturnal snake subsists almost entirely on earthworms. Predators include other snakes, birds, and mammals. Often curls its tail into a tight coil when disturbed, but otherwise passive. Status: Rare and known from only a few scattered localities, mostly urban vacant lots, in central counties (see distribution map, above). |
|
|
©Illinois Natural History Survey |