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Graham's Crayfish Snake
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- Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles)
- Suborder: Serpentes (snakes)
- Family: Colubridae ("typical" snakes)
- Subfamily: Natricinae (garter and water snakes)
- Genus: Regina (crayfish snakes)
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Scientific Name: Regina grahamii
Baird & Girard, 1853 |
Habitat: Slow-moving
streams, ponds, and drainage ditches; often near human habitation. |
Regina="queen," grahamii
in honor of James D. Graham, surveyor/naturalist who collected the
type specimen
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Length: Up to 4 feet
long. |
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Food: Crayfish, frogs,
and snails. |
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I recovered this snake on a
rescue call from southwest San Antonio in April 2004. A
young boy had caught it in a creek near his house. The
mother wasn't sure if it was venomous or not (good thing it
wasn't!). I relocated it away from the inquisitive boy's
neighborhood. |
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This individual was roughly 18
inches long. San Antonio is about as far southwest as this
species can be found; but with plentiful lakes, ponds, and creeks,
there is plenty of habitat. People are often surprised at
how many snakes can be found practically in their backyards in
urban settings. This is one of numerous species which seem
to adapt readily to living near humans. |
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