Central American Indigo Snake
Drymarchon melanurus
(Duméril, Bibron, and Duméril, 1854)
DRY-mar-kon — mel-ah-NUR-us
SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
There are no current SSAR comments for this taxon.
Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2024.11.25.14.03.28)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 0.66 MB
Province/State Distribution:
United States: Texas
Taxonomic Etymology:
Named for its “black tail.”
Drymarchon — From Greek drymarchos (δρυμάρχων), “lord of the forest,” from drymos (δρυμός), “wood” or “forest,” and archon (ἄρχων), “ruler.” The name means “ruler of the forest,” referencing the snake’s large size and terrestrial habits.
melanurus — From Greek melas (μέλας), “black,” and oura (οὐρά), “tail.” The name means “black-tailed,” referring to the dark posterior coloration of the species.
First instance(s) of published English names:
Indigo Snake (Spilotes erebennus: Yarrow, Henry C. 1882. Check list of North American Reptilia and Batrachia with catalogue of specimens in U. S. National Museum. Bulletin of the United States National Museum (24):1-249); Tropical Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corais melanurus: Schmidt, Karl Peterson and D. D. Davis. 1941. Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. C.P. Putnam and Sons, New York. 365pp.); Texas Indigo Snake (Drymarchon corais erebennus: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.);
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
The Reptile Database
GenBank
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
Selected References:
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1854
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Dumeril, A. M. Constant, Gabriel Bibron, and Auguste H. A. Dumeril. Erpetologie Generale ou Histoire Naturelle Complete Des Reptiles. Tome Septieme - Premiere Partie. [General Herpetology or Complete Natural History of Reptiles. Volume Seven - First Part.] Librairie Encyclopedique de Roret, Paris, France. 780pp.
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1981
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McCranie, James R. Drymarchon, D. corais. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (267):1-4
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2001
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Wüster, Wolfgang, José Luís Yrausquin, and Abraham Mijares. A new species of indigo snake from north-western Venezuela (Serpentes: Colubridae: Drymarchon). Herpetological Journal 11(4):157-165
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