''Nerodia paucimaculata'', commonly known as the Concho water snake, is a species of mostly aquatic, non venomous snake in the family

Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...

. The species is endemic to Texas in the United States.

Geographic range

''N. paucimaculata'' is found only in west-central Texas in the Colorado and Concho river systems, in Coke,

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, San Saba, and Tom Green Counties.

Conservation status

Due to its limited range, ''N. paucimaculata'' was considered a threatened species in the state of Texas.

Taxonomy

''N. paucimaculata'' was originally considered to be a

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 species ...

of the Brazos water snake, '' N. harteri'', but was elevated to full species status by Densmore et al. in 1992.Densmore LD III, Rose FL, Kain SJ (1992). "Mitochondrial DNA evolution and speciation in water snakes (genus ''Nerodia'') with special reference to ''Nerodia harteri'' ". ''Herpetologica'' 48 (1): 60-68. (''Nerodia paucimaculata'', new status).

Description

The Concho water snake grows to a total length (including tail) of 16 to 32 inches (41–81 cm), and looks very much like ''N. harteri''. However, ''N. paucimaculata'' tends to be more red in color, and has no dark markings on the underside.

References

* Powell R, Conant R, Collins JT (2016). ''Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition''. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. xiv + 494 pp., 47 plates, 207 figures. . (''Nerodia paucimaculata'', p. 419). * Tinkle DW, Conant R (1961). "The Rediscovery of the Water Snake, ''Natrix harteri'', in Western Texas, with the Description of a New Subspecies". ''Southwestern Naturalist'' 6 (1): 33-44. (''Natrix harteri paucimaculata'', new subspecies)

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