Eel moccasin, Horn snake, Red-lined snake, Red-lined horned snake, Red-sided snake, Sand hog, Sand snake, Striped wampum
Farancia erytrogramma (also known commonly as the rainbow snake, and less frequently as the eel moccasin) is a species of large, nonvenomous, highly aquatic, colubrid snake, which is endemic to coastal plains of the southeastern United States. Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, one of which has been declared extinct.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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AquaticAn aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract ...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Rainbow snake is a large, nonvenomous, highly aquatic snake that is found in the southeastern United States. Dorsally, it has smooth, glossy bluish-black back scales, with three red stripes. It has a short tail, with a spiny tip which it sometimes uses as a probe. Adults may show yellow coloration along the sides and on the head. Females of this species are larger than males.
Rainbow snakes are found from southern Maryland to southeastern Louisiana, including eastern Virginia, southeastern North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, northern Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. They inhabit cypress swamps, marshes, blackwater creeks, slow-moving streams, and sandy coastal plains.
Rainbow snakes are rarely seen due to their secretive lifestyle. They spend most of their lives in the water, hiding in aquatic vegetation or other forms of cover. They are strong swimmers, and also know how to burrow into mud and sand. Rainbow snakes are solitary and hunt by night. Prey are eaten alive and usually swallowed head first. Rainbow snakes are not aggressive when captured, and do not bite their captors. When feeling threatened they usually freeze and remain still or crawl away to the nearest hiding spot.
Rainbow snakes are carnivores. They feed mainly on eels but also prey on small frogs, tadpoles, and salamanders.
Rainbow snakes breed in the late spring or early summer. Females usually lay their eggs in July, leaving them underground in sandy soil. A clutch consists of around 20 eggs on average, but large females may lay over 50. The young typically hatch in late summer or fall. They are independent at birth and become reproductively mature between 2 and 3 years of age.
Rainbow snakes don't face any major threats at present. Locally, populations suffer from habitat loss due to degradation and urbanization and are often collected for the pet trade.
According to the IUCN Red List, the adult population size of the Rainbow snake is unknown but presumably exceeds 10,000 and is probably much larger. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
