The Florida crowned snake (''Tantilla relicta'') is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of 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 the appropriate s ...

colubrid 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 ...

snake

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. It is a small, slender, non-venomous snake that is rarely seen. The species is commonly found in north and central Florida, and is most often associated with sandy habitats.

Description

The Florida crowned snake is a small, 7-9 inch (17-22 cm), slender snake that is tan, light brown or reddish brown in color. It has a brown-black head, chin, and parts of the neck. Some individuals have a pattern on the head of a pale band. The band marking may be absent in individuals from north-central Florida. It can also have a dark neck band. The underside can be white, pink or whitish-yellow. The maximum recorded total length of the species is 24 cm (9.5 in). The nose may be cream-tan in color in populations found along the Atlantic Coast.

Natural habitat

The Florida crowned snake is commonly found in north and central Florida, and in sandy habitat areas of the

Gulf coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Texas, Louisiana, Mississ ...

. Conant R (1975). ''A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xvii + 429 pp. (hardcover), (paperback). (''Tantilla relicta'', pp. 220-222, Figure 67 + Plate 33 + Map 164). The species is seen rarely in the southernmost border area of Georgia. It is most often associated with sandy habitats, including Florida sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods and pine

hammocks A hammock (from Spanish , borrowed from Taíno and Arawak ) is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two or more points, used for swinging, sleeping, or resting. It normally consists of one or more cloth panels, or a wov ...

Behavior and diet

The snake is most active in the warmest months of the year. During the winter, the Florida crowned snake spends the majority of its time burrowed in loose, sandy soils, including mounds created by burrowing animals. They also will hide under rocks or organic litter. They are rarely seen out in the open. They have been observed occupying pocket gopher and gopher tortoise burrows. Diet includes worms, snails, spiders, insects and their larvae. The snake has been observed eating beetle larvae. The populations found primarily in Florida have very large rear teeth that possibly direct venom into their prey. The species is harmless to humans.

Reproduction

Very little is known about the reproduction of the Florida crowned snake. The species lays elongated eggs. It is believed that its reproduction is probably similar to the genus ''

Tantilla ''Tantilla'' is a large genus of harmless New World snakes in the family Colubridae. The genus includes 66 species, which are commonly known as centipede snakes, blackhead snakes, and flathead snakes.Wilson, Larry David. 1982. Tantilla. ...

''. It is assumed that the snake lays its eggs from late spring to August.

Predators and defense

The Florida crowned snake is eaten by a large variety of predators with the ability to find and apprehend the snake underground. The snake will not bite when it is picked up by humans. This species is the primary food for the rare short-tailed snake (''

Lampropeltis extenuata The short-tailed snake (''Lampropeltis extenuata'') is a small harmless colubrid snake. Fossorial and seldom seen, it is found only in sandy, upland parts of Florida where it is listed as Threatened and is protected by state law. Etymology The ...

'').

Taxonomy

Three subspecies are recognized, including the

nominotypical 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 ...

. The subspecific name, ''neilli'', is in honor of American

herpetologist Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and rept ...

Wilfred T. Neill Wilfred T. Neill (1922–2001) was an American herpetologist and author. His name survives in the scientific names of the central Florida crowned snake, ''Tantilla relicta neilli'', and a Central American snail-eating snake, ''Sibon sanniolus neilli ...

.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Tantilla relicta neilli'', p. 188). *'' Tantilla relicta neilli'' Telford, 1966 *'' Tantilla relicta pamlica'' Telford, 1966 *'' Tantilla relicta relicta'' Telford, 1966

Conservation

"The Florida crowned snake is not considered a conservation risk in Florida. Some populations of this species are threatened when their habitat is damaged or destroyed. It is listed as critically impaired in Georgia because of its small range in the state. This species is protected in the state of Georgia.