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Home/Species/ Western Ribbonsnake

Thamnophis proximus

(Say, 1823)

Western Ribbonsnake

G5Secure Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104971
Element CodeARADB36090
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyColubridae
GenusThamnophis
Other Common Names
western ribbonsnake (EN) Western Ribbon Snake (EN)
Concept Reference
Rossman, D. A., N. B. Ford, and R. A. Seigel. 1996. The garter snakes: evolution and ecology. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. xx + 332 pp.
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-12-30
Change Date1996-10-30
Edition Date2005-12-30
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
The range extends from southeastern Colorado (at least historically; Hammerson 1999), eastern Nebraska, Iowa, southern Wisconsin, and Indiana southward to eastern New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, and through eastern Mexico to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, then discontinuously through southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua to Costa Rica, at elevations from sea level to 2,438 meters (8,000 feet) (Rossman et al. 1996).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a very large number of occurrences (Rossman 1970). Werler and Dixon (2000) mapped hundreds of collection sites in Texas, and Trauth et al. (2004) mapped well over 100 collection sites in Arkansas.
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known. Locally, wetland loss and degradation have extirpated or reduced some populations.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This semiaquatic snake occurs a wide range of often shrubby habitats in the vicinity of streams, lakes, ponds, sloughs, ditches, swamps, and marshes (Rossman et al. 1996, Werler and Dixon 2000, Ernst and Ernst 2003, Trauth et al. 2004). Often it is in water-edge vegetation. Sometimes it can be found in terrestrial habitats but generally close to water. Hibernation sites may be in upland areas near or some distance from water.

Reproduction

Gives birth to litter of 4-27 young, mainly July-September. Sexually mature in 2nd or 3rd year (Fitch 1970).
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDSCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
IndianaS3Yes
IllinoisS4Yes
LouisianaS5Yes
TexasS5Yes
KansasS5Yes
IowaS5Yes
MississippiS5Yes
MissouriS5Yes
KentuckySNRYes
NebraskaS2Yes
TennesseeS4Yes
ArkansasS5Yes
WisconsinS1Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
ColoradoSXYes
New MexicoS3Yes
Roadless Areas (5)
Illinois (1)
AreaForestAcres
Clear SpringsShawnee National Forest11
Louisiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Saline Bayou W & S River CorridorKisatchie National Forest5,355
New Mexico (1)
AreaForestAcres
Candian RiverCibola National Forest7,149
Texas (2)
AreaForestAcres
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
Winters BayouNational Forests in Texas730
References (25)
  1. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  2. Brodman, R., S. Cortwright, and A. Resetar. 2002. Historical changes of reptiles and amphibians of northwest Indiana fish and wildlife properties. American Midland Naturalist 147:135-144.
  3. Campbell, J. A. 1998. Amphibians and reptiles of northern Guatemala, the Yucatan, and Belize. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. xix + 380 pp.
  4. Collins, J. T. 1982. Amphibians and reptiles in Kansas. Second edition. Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist., Pub. Ed. Ser. 8. xiii + 356 pp.
  5. Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
  6. Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1998. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition, expanded. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 616 pp.
  7. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
  8. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
  9. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  10. Degenhardt, W. G., C. W. Painter, and A. H. Price. 1996. Amphibians and reptiles of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. xix + 431 pp.
  11. Dundee, H. A., and D. A. Rossman. 1989. The amphibians and reptiles of Louisiana. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge.
  12. Ernst, C. H., and E. M. Ernst. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Books, Washington, D.C.
  13. Fitch, H. S. 1970. Reproductive cycles of lizards and snakes. Univ. Kansas Museum Natural History Miscellaneous Publication 52:1-247.
  14. Hammerson, G. A. 1999. Amphibians and reptiles in Colorado. Second edition. University Press of Colorado, Boulder. xxvi + 484 pp.
  15. Lawson, R. 1987. Molecular studies of thamnophiine snakes: 1. The phylogeny of the genus <i>Nerodia</i>. J. Herpetology 21:140-157.
  16. Lee, J. C. 2000. A field guide to the amphibians and reptiles of the Maya world: the lowlands of Mexico, northern Guatemala, and Belize. Comstock Publishing Associates, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. 402 pp.
  17. Minton, S. A., Jr. 2001. Amphibians & reptiles of Indiana. Revised second edition. Indiana Academy of Science, Indianapolis. xiv + 404 pp.
  18. Rossman, D.A. 1970. <i>Thamnophis proximus</i>. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 98.1-98.3.
  19. Rossman, D. A., N. B. Ford, and R. A. Seigel. 1996. The garter snakes: evolution and ecology. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. xx + 332 pp.
  20. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  21. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  22. Tennant, A. 1984. The Snakes of Texas. Texas Monthly Press, Austin, Texas. 561 pp.
  23. Tennant, A. 1998. A field guide to Texas snakes. Second edition. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas.
  24. Trauth, S. E., H. W. Robison, and M. V. Plummer. 2004. The amphibians and reptiles of Arkansas. University of Arkansas Press.
  25. Vogt, R. C. 1981c. Natural history of amphibians and reptiles of Wisconsin. Milwaukee Public Museum. 205 pp.