THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY

Reptilia    Squamata (part-snakes)    Colubridae  

Speckled Racer
Drymobius margaritiferus (Schlegel, 1837)
DRY-MOH-bee-us — mar-gah-REE-tif-er-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: 2023.04.08.20.40.09)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 0.37 MB

Province/State Distribution:
United States: Texas

Taxonomic Etymology:
Named for its pearly or spotted appearance.
Drymobius — From Greek drymos (δρυμός), “wooded area,” and bios (βίος), “life.” The name means “forest-dweller,” reflecting the snake’s preference for humid or wooded habitats.
margaritiferus — From Latin margarita, “pearl,” and -ferus, “bearing.” The name means “pearl-bearing,” referring to the iridescent, speckled scales along the body.

First instance(s) of published English names:
Speckled Ground Snake (Drymobius margaritiferus: 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.); Northern Speckled Racer (Drymobius margaritiferus: Hedges, S. Blair, Robert Powell, Robert W. Henderson, Sarah Hanson, and John C. Murphy. 2019. Definition of the Caribbean Islands biogeographic region, with checklist and recommendations for standardized common names of amphibians and reptiles. Caribbean Herpetology (67):1–53);

Taxon Links:

  
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
  
The Reptile Database
  
NatureServe
  
iNaturalist
  
GenBank
  
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

Selected References:
1837 Schlegel, Hermann. Essai sur la Physionomie des Serpens. [Essay on the Physiognomy of Serpents.] M. H. Schonekat, Libraire-Editeur, Amsterdam, Netherlands.. 251pp.
1975 Wilson, Larry David. Drymobius. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (170):1-2
1975 Wilson, Larry David. Drymobius margaritiferus. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (172):1-2
2019 Hedges, S. Blair, Robert Powell, Robert W. Henderson, Sarah Hanson, and John C. Murphy. Definition of the Caribbean Islands biogeographic region, with checklist and recommendations for standardized common names of amphibians and reptiles. Caribbean Herpetology (67):1–53

THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY — Accessed: Friday 05 December 2025 16:56 CT