Godman’s Garter Snake
Thamnophis godmani (Günther, 1894)
| Spanish Name | Víbora de Agua |
|---|---|
| Subspecies | None |
| Max. Recorded Length | 52 cm (SVL); 20.5 inches (SVL) |
Range
Mexico: Guerrero.
Description
Godman’s Garter Snake previously included the garter snake populations now known as Bogert’s Garter Snake, Thamnophis bogerti, Conant’s Garter Snake, Thamnophis conanti, and Liner’s Garter Snake, Thamnophis lineri. Rossman and Burbrink’s 2005 paper created those three new species on the grounds that each population formerly belonging to T. godmani was morphologically distinct and geographically isolated from the others.
Thamnophis godmani has been retained for populations from Guerrero, where it has been found in pine-oak and cloud forest in the Sierra Madre del Sur.
Very little is known about the four species in this complex.
Sources
Rossman, D. A., and F. T. Burbrink. 2005. Species limits within the Mexican garter snakes of the Thamnophis godmani complex. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural Science 79.
Rossman, D. A., N. B. Ford and R. A. Seigel. 1996. The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology. Norman OK: University of Oklahoma Press.
North American Watersnakes
Snakes of the United States and Canada: Natural History and Care in Captivity