''Coniophanes'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of colubrid

snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...

s, commonly referred to as black-striped snakes, but they also have many other common names. The genus consists of 17

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

, and despite the common name, not all of them display striping.

Geographic range

Species of ''Coniophanes'' are found primarily in

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

and

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, but range as far north as southern

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, and as far south as

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...

Description

Snakes of the genus ''Coniophanes'' grow to a total length (including tail) of and are typically brown in color, with black striping down the sides and center of the back, and a red or orange underside. Some of the species, such as ''C. alvarezi'', are solid brown.

Habitat and behavior

''Coniophanes'' snakes are secretive burrowers. They spend most of their time digging into loose soils, forest leaf litter, or under rotting

cactus A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gre ...

. They are nocturnal, emerging from their underground retreats in the late evening to feed on

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" '' Triadobatrachus'' is ...

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia al ...

s, small

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are roden ...

s, and smaller

Reproduction

Species in the genus ''Coniophanes'' are oviparous, laying clutches of up to 10 eggs in loose soil. The eggs hatch in around 40 days, depending on relative temperature and humidity. Hatchlings are about in length.

Species

The following 17

are recognized as being valid."''Coniophanes'' ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. *'' C. alvarezi'' – Chiapan stripeless snake – Mexico *'' C. andresensis'' – Isla San Andrés snake – Isla San Andrés, Colombia *'' C. bipunctatus'' – two-spotted snake – Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras,

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by ...

, and Costa Rica **''C. b. bipunctatus'' **''C. b. biseriatus'' *'' C. dromiciformis'' – Peters' running snake – Ecuador and Peru *'' C. fissidens'' – yellowbelly snake – Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia **''C. f. convergens'' **''C. f. dispersus'' **''C. f. fissidens'' **''C. f. proterops'' **''C. f. punctigularis'' *'' C. imperialis'' – black-striped snake – United States (Texas), Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras **''C. i. imperialis'' **''C. i. clavatus'' **''C. i. copei'' *'' C. joanae'' – Panama *'' C. lateritius'' – stripeless snake – Mexico *'' C. longinquus'' – Peru *'' C. melanocephalus'' *'' C. meridanus'' – peninsula stripeless snake *'' C. michoacanensis'' *'' C. piceivittis'' – Cope's black-striped snake – Mexico, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica **''C. p. frangivirgatus'' **''C. p. piceivittis'' *'' C. quinquevittatus'' – five-striped snake – Mexico and Guatemala *'' C. schmidti'' – faded black-striped snake – Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. *'' C. taeniata'' – Mexico *'' C. taylori'' '' Nota bene'': A binomial authority or trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all specie ...

was originally described in a genus other than ''Coniophanes''.

References

External links

Herps of Texas: ''Coniophanes imperialis''
* * Colubrids Taxa named by Edward Hallowell (herpetologist) Snake genera {{Colubrids-stub