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Snakes of Zihuatanejo

SUBORDER​ SERPENTES

Speckled Racer

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Reptiles (Class Reptilia)

-​Snakes and Lizards (Order Squamata)

-Snakes (Suborder Serpentes)

-Colubrid Snakes (Family Colubridae)

-Colubrine Snakes (Subfamily Colubrinae)

-Speckled Racers (Genus Drymobius)

-Speckled Racer (Drymobius margaritiferus)


The Speckled Racer Snake is a medium-sized snake native to Mexico, Central America, and parts of the southwestern United States. Its diet consists mainly of frogs and toads, but it will also eat small mammals, lizards, birds, and eggs. This snake is non-venomous and poses no threat to humans. It is very fast, alert, and active, and can be identified by its gray or olive body with black and white speckles. It occurs in a wide variety of habitats, including forest, forest edges and clearings, secondary growth, riparian zones, savannahs, marshlands, pastures, and roadsides.

Drymobius margaritiferus

Diet

  • Carnivorous, feeding primarily on frogs, toads, tadpoles, small lizards, fish, and occasionally small rodents and nestling birds.

  • Juveniles feed mainly on frogs, tadpoles, and small lizards.

  • An active daytime hunter that relies on excellent eyesight and speed to pursue prey rather than constricting it.

Range

  • Found from southern Texas through Mexico, Central America, and into northern South America.

  • In Mexico, it occurs along both the Pacific and Gulf slopes, including Guerrero and the Zihuatanejo region.

  • Found from sea level to about 1,800 m (5,900 ft).

Habitat

  • Inhabits tropical dry forests, tropical rainforests, gallery forests, secondary forests, mangroves, woodland edges, and riparian habitats.

  • Frequently encountered near streams, ponds, marshes, and other wetlands, where amphibian prey is abundant.

  • Diurnal and highly active, often seen moving rapidly through leaf litter, low vegetation, or across forest trails.

Size

  • Total length: 80–140 cm (31–55 in)

  • Average adult length: 90–120 cm (35–47 in)

  • Weight: 150–400 g

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