THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY


Reptilia    Squamata (part-snakes)    Colubridae  

Tamaulipan Hook-nosed Snake
Ficimia streckeri Taylor, 1931
fih-SIM-ee-uh — STREK-er-eye

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: 2024.11.21.09.17.09)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 0.1 MB

Province/State Distribution:
United States: Texas

Taxonomic Etymology:
A small, fossorial snake Named after a Texas naturalist.
Ficimia — Possibly derived from Greek phikein (φικεῖν), “to dig” or “burrow,” in reference to the snake’s digging habits, though the exact etymology is unclear and may be arbitrary.
streckeri — A patronym honoring John Kern Strecker (1875–1933), an American zoologist and curator at Baylor University known for his work on the herpetofauna of Texas and northern Mexico.

First instance(s) of published English names:
Western Hook-nosed Snake (Ficimia cana: 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.); South Texas Hook-nosed Snake (Ficimia streckeri: 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.); Hook-nosed Snake (Ficimia olivacea: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Strecker's Hook-nosed Snake (Ficimia olivacea streckeri: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.);

Taxon Links:

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

Selected References:
1931 Taylor, Edward H. Notes on two new specimens of the rare snake Ficimia cana, and the description of a new species of Ficimia from Texas. Copeia 1931(4):4-7
1950 Axtell, Ralph W. Two specimens of the snake Ficimia streckeri from Texas. Copeia 1950(2):157
1975 Hardy, Laurence M. A systematic revision of the colubrid snake genus Ficimia. Journal of Herpetology 9(2):133-168
1976 Hardy, Laurence M. Ficimia streckeri. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (181):1-2
1990 Hardy, Laurence M. Ficimia Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (471):1-5

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