Rim Rock Crowned Snake
Tantilla oolitica Telford, 1966
Also calledСкалистый черноголовый уж (rus)
First described in: Telford, Sam Rountree, Jr. Variation among the southeastern crowned snakes, genus Tantilla.
The rim rock crowned snake (Tantilla oolitica), named after the Miami Rim Rock land arrangement, is a non-venomous endangered species of snake belonging to the family Colubridae. The rim rock crowned snake is endemic to the United States throughout southern Florida. The specific name, oolitica, refers to the oolitic limestone area of Florida in which the species is found. All species of snakes that belong to the genus Tantilla, are relatively small and usually do not exceed 20 cm (8 in). The species T. oolitica was added to the IUCN Red List in 2007 as a result of loss in habitat and restricted range.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
The rim rock crowned snake is a relatively small species. The maximum recorded total length (including tail) is 29 cm (11.5 in). The top of the head is black. The body is tan to beige dorsally, and white ventrally.
Range & habitat
T. oolitica is found in Dade County and Monroe County of Florida and the Florida Keys, including Eastern Rock Rim of Miami.
What it does
T. oolitica preys upon spiders, centipedes, worms, insects and their larvae, and even scorpions. At least 1 mortality from consuming centipedes has been reported.
In the stacks
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Every page naming Tantilla oolitica in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
From the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence records (GBIF.org), with Wikipedia and the Source Library. GBIF species 2456463.