The glossy crayfish snake (''Liodytes rigida rigida'') is 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 nonvenomous 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 ...

to the southeastern

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 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Its scientific name, ''rigida'', derives from the fact that it is comparatively stiff.

Description

It is a shiny, dark

semiaquatic In biology, semiaquatic can refer to various types of animals that spend part of their time in water, or plants that naturally grow partially submerged in water. Examples are given below. Semiaquatic animals Semiaquatic animals include: * Verte ...

snake, usually measuring 14-24 inches (36–61 cm). Its color can be described as brown to olive-brown. A few dark stripes are present on the snake's back, but hardly noticeable. The bottom of the snake is a cream-yellowish color, with small patterns similar to half moons. It can be described as very stiff, which has earned it the nickname, "the stiff snake". This snake also has very rough scales, thought to aid in defence against its main food source, crayfish.

Diet

This

feeds almost entirely on

crayfish Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the clade Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. In some locations, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mu ...

. However, when their main food source is scarce, they can resort to frogs, salamanders, small fish, and dragonfly larva. This snake, like other crayfish snakes, have an eating habit that is different from typical snakes. As most snakes attack the head of their prey, crayfish snakes will attack the rear of the crayfish, to prevent internal damage from the sharp parts of the crayfish.

Taxonomy

Close relatives of the glossy crayfish snake are the Gulf crayfish snake (''Liodytes rigida sinicola'') and the Delta crayfish snake (''Liodytes rigida deltae'').

Geographic range

The glossy crayfish snake is found in the

Coastal Plain A coastal plain is flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and a piedmont area. Some of the largest coastal plains are in Alaska and the southeastern United States. The Gulf Coa ...

of the southeastern

from eastern

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

to eastern

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but is absent from the southern portion of peninsular

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 ...

Conservation

According to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, in Virginia the range of the glossy crayfish snake is limited to a small geographic region. The Virginia Herpetological Society indicated that "Extinction or extirpation is possible. Populations of these species are in decline or have declined to low levels or are in a restricted range."Glossy Crayfish Snake, Regina rigida rigida. http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/snakes/glossy-crayfish-snake/glossy_crayfish_snake.htm . Retrieved 28 July 2013

References

External links

* http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/regrig.htm * http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/fl-guide/Reginarrigida.htm * http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/?s=030035 * https://web.archive.org/web/20130815004549/http://virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/snakes/glossy-crayfish-snake/glossy_crayfish_snake.htm {{Taxonbar, from=Q5571964 Reptiles of the United States Liodytes