The striped crayfish snake (''Liodytes alleni'') 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 ...

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 Semi aquatic animals include: * Ve ...

North American

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 ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Colubridae. The species derives its common name from its principal

prey Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...

, crayfish. This snake is also called Allen's snake, the striped swamp snake, the striped swampsnake, or simply the swamp snake. It is

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 else ...

to 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 ...

. Although rarely seen due to its secretive behavior, it can be found in large numbers in wet areas, with densities approaching 1,300 snakes per hectare (525 snakes per acre).

Etymology

The specific name, ''alleni'', is in honor of American

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...

Joel Asaph Allen Joel Asaph Allen (July 19, 1838 – August 29, 1921) was an American zoologist, mammalogist, and ornithologist. He became the first president of the American Ornithologists' Union, the first curator of birds and mammals at the American Museum of ...

, who collected the type specimen.

Description

The striped crayfish snake is of "small medium" size, in total length (including tail), with a heavy body. The stripes which contribute to its common name are indistinct and located on the dark dorsal side. The ventral side is yellow with some dark spots. The

dorsal scales In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales In snakes, the ventral scales or gastrosteges are the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down t ...

, which are arranged in 19 rows at midbody, are smooth on the body, with some

keeled scales Keeled scales refer to reptile scales that, rather than being smooth, have a ridge down the center that may or may not extend to the tip of the scale, Campbell, J. A., Lamar, W. W. (2004). ''The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere''. Itha ...

in the anal region. There is a clear

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most an ...

with the females being the larger sex. Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. Two Volumes. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates, a division of Cornell University Press. 1,105 pp. (Size of adults, p. 7; ''Liodytes alleni'', pp. 419-423, Figure 128, Map 35). Behler, John L.; King, F. Wayne (1979). ''The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 743 pp. . (Striped Crayfish Snake, ''Regina alleni'', p. 646 + Plate 510). The striped crayfish snake is very similar to the glossy crayfish snake (''Liodytes rigida rigida''), but has one row of spots on the underside, whereas the glossy crayfish snake has two spots.

Natural habitat

The striped crayfish snake is a semiaquatic snake and is regularly found in swamps and open wetlands with heavy plant growth, cypress swamps, saw grass prairies, swamps, and roadside ditches. The snake has adapted well to the beds of

water hyacinth ''Pontederia crassipes'' (formerly ''Eichhornia crassipes''), commonly known as common water hyacinth is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive outside its native range.waterways A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other languages. A first distinction is necessary ...

. Although the species is aquatic, it is rarely seen in moving water. The snake is primarily found in Florida. It is commonly found east of the central panhandle and in southeastern Georgia. The northern

range Range may refer to: Geography * Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra) ** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands * Range, a term used to i ...

limit is near the Florida-Georgia border.

Behavior and diet

The striped crayfish snake is active throughout the year except for the coldest months of winter. When active, it typically can be found among the roots of aquatic vegetation, and on land beneath logs or organic litter. It is active in still water during the day and probably at night. On cool days, it finds sunny areas on land to bask. The striped crayfish snake feeds primarily on crayfish. It uses its coils to hold its prey while consuming it alive. Its teeth are small and very sharp, allowing it to grab and hold the hard outer covering of the crayfish. It typically swallows the

crustacean Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group can ...

tail first. Juveniles feed on insect larvae, most commonly the larvae of

dragonflies A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threa ...

and shrimp.

Reproduction

There is very little known about the reproduction of the striped crayfish snake. Adults probably mate during the spring season, and the young are born alive during the late summer or autumn. Brood size is from four to twelve neonates. Larger snakes usually produce more young than smaller snakes.

Predators and defense

Natural predators of ''L. alleni'' include

great egrets The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and ...

great blue herons The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Isl ...

sandhill cranes The sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis'') is a species of large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird refers to habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills on t ...

kingsnakes Kingsnakes are colubrid New World members of the genus ''Lampropeltis'', which includes 26 species. Among these, about 45 subspecies are recognized. They are nonvenomous and ophiophagous in diet. Description Kingsnakes vary widely in size an ...

, cottonmouth snakes, large

salamanders Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by their lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All ten ...

and river otters. When attacked or disturbed, the striped crayfish snake escapes into the water. The snake releases a strong odor from its scent glands when captured. It does not bite, but may thrash around vigorously when captured.

Conservation

Because the striped crayfish snake is dependent on a continuous and abundant supply of crayfish, any major changes to the crayfish supply, including destruction of the crayfish habitat, pollution and destruction of wetlands will be a threat to the survival of the striped crayfish snake. The species is not legally protected in Florida or George, but is considered a conservation concern.