THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY
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Reptilia    Squamata (part-snakes)    Natricidae  
Black Swampsnake
Seminatrix pygaea (Cope, 1871)
SEM-ih-NAY-triks — pye-JEE-uh
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SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
 See comment under Seminatrix. (Boundy, Jeff, Frank T. Burbrink, and Sara Ruane. 2025. Squamata (excluding lizards) – Snakes. Pages 38-54 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.)

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Open icons indicate questionable records, including those with coordinate uncertainty greater than 10,000 m (approximately 6 miles). Click a marker to view metadata.
Occurrences:; 1,675 Total; 1,468 Museum; 207 Other

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Province/State Distribution:
United States: Alabama Florida Georgia North Carolina South Carolina

Taxonomic Etymology:
A small aquatic snake of the southeastern U.S., with a name reflecting both its southeastern origins and its distinctive tail region.
Seminatrix — Possibly derived from Seminole (referring to the Native American group in Florida), with the Latin suffix -trix (feminine agent noun). The exact derivation is uncertain, but likely indicates a regional reference to the southeastern U.S.
pygaea — From Greek pygē (πυγή), “rump” or “buttocks.” Likely refers to the striking coloration or structure of the posterior body or tail area.

First instance(s) of published English names:
Florida Miter Snake (Contia pygaea: 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); Black Swamp Snake (Seminatrix pygaea: 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.); Mud Snake (Seminatrix pygaea: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Pigmy Water Snake (Seminatrix pygaea: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Black Swamp Snake (Seminatrix pygaea: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Red-bellied Snake (Seminatrix pygaea: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Red-bellied Mud Snake (Seminatrix pygaea: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Swamp Snake (Seminatrix pygaea: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Swamp Black Snake (Seminatrix pygaea: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Florida Water Snake (Seminatrix pygaea: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Florida Miter Snake (Seminatrix pygaea: Wright, Albert Hazen. 1950. Common names of the snakes of the United States. Herpetologica 6(6):141-186); Black Swamp Snake (Seminatrix pygaea: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); South Florida Swamp Snake (Seminatrix pygaea cyclas: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Carolina Swamp Snake (Seminatrix pygaea paludis: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.); Black Swamp Snake (Seminatrix pygaea pygaea: Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th Edition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois. 280pp.);


Selected References:
1871 Cope, Edward D. Ninth contribution to the herpetology of tropical America. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 23:200-224
1998 Dorcas, Michael E., Gibbons, J. Whitfield, and Dowling, Herndon G. Seminatrix, S. pygaea. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (679):1-5

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