HARMLESS. The Great Plains Groundsnake is characterized by smooth scales, a divided anal scale, and a distinct color. The head, body, and tail of this small snake may be uniform gray or light reddish brown with no pattern or may have anywhere from one to 25 black crossbands. The belly is cream or white. Adult males have longer tails than females.
This species exhibits considerable variation in dorsal pattern and coloration throughout its range in Kansas. The common phenotypes are;
1) black crossbands and a red stripe2) black crossbands only
3) red stripe only
4) uniform; no black crossbands or red stripe
The following locality/pattern type associations have been noted in decreasing order:,
Russell County: 4, 1, 3, 2
Clark County: 3, 2, 1 (rarely)
Comanche County: 2, 1, 4, 3
Elk County: 4, 3
Kiowa County: 3, 4, 2, 1 (rarely)
Barber County: 3, 1, 4, 2
Cowley County: 4, 3, 1 (rarely)
The Elk County population exhibits the least pattern class variation.
Adults normally grow 215-306 mm (8½-12 inches) in total length. The largest specimen from Kansas is a female (KU 83179) from Cowley County with a total length of 370 mm (145⁄8 inches) collected by Charles E. Burt between 1938 and 1941. The maximum length throughout the range is 469.9 mm (18½ inches) (Powell et al, 2016).
Known primarily from along the southern border of Kansas with most specimens coming from the southwest Osage Plains, Cross Timbers, southern Flint Hills, Red Hills, and central Smoky Hills. They are most often collected under rocks, and occasionally on the crawl (e.g. crossing roads) in rocky areas.
The Great Plains Groundsnake inhabits dry, rocky, prairie hillsides and in eastern Kansas may occur in open areas along forest edge. It is active from April to September. Little is known of the daily activity of this reptile in Kansas. It spends part of the day beneath flat rocks or in cracks in dry soil. This species may be nocturnal. During winter, it burrows deep beneath the ground and emerges in the spring.
The Great Plains Groundsnake mates in May or June and occasionally during the fall. Courtship consists of the male rubbing his chin on the female's back just behind the head and occasionally biting her. He then curls his tail beneath hers until their cloaca! openings meet, and copulation occurs.
Each female lays from four to six eggs during late June or July; they hatch in about two months.
This snake feeds on spiders, scorpions, centipedes, and various insects.
Predators of the Great Plains Groundsnake include larger snakes, mammals, and birds (Collins, 1993).
First reported from Kansas by Cragin (1894) based on a red and black specimen collected by William A. Sherrill in the road west of Sun City, Barber County. Burt (1933) reported on a specimen in the Kansas State College Museum (no longer extant) that was collected by T. H. Sheffer at Sun City on 3 July 1905. The earliest existing specimens are a series of fourteen specimens (KU 2776-89) from Kansas were collected at Fall River, Greenwood County, during July of 1911 (no other associated data).
Populations in Kansas are at the northern edge of the species range.
The population that persists among the Greenhorn Limestone outcrops flanking the Saline River in Russell County is relictual. Three specimens (UI 33031, KU 16879, and FMNH 105114) collected in 1932 are listed as 'Ellis Co., Hays'. Suitable habitat does not exist in 'Hays' for this taxon (although it does in northeast Ellis County [continuous with Greenhorn Limestone habitat in Russell County]).
The population in Clark County is also relictual.
The taxonomic history of this taxon is extensive due to the widespread distribution and pattern variation exhibited (Stickel 1938, 1943; Frost and Van Devender 1979; Frost 1983). Most recently Cox et al. (2018) resurrected S. episcopa for the populations north of the Balcones Escarpment (Texas) and east of the Rocky Mountains (including Kansas) and S. taylori for those populations south of the Balcones Escarpment in south Texas. The type locality for S. episcopa is at Eagle Pass, Texas, and well below the Balcones Escarpment.
References
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