2 24 VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF THE UNITED STATES 



23. Ficimia Gray. Small, stout snakes with an acute rostral plate, 

 the anterior end of which is turned up; no loreal plate; scales smooth, in 

 17 rows; anal plate divided; pupil round: 2 species. 



F. cana (Cope). Length 188 mm.; tail 23 mm.; color brownish 

 yellow, with 30 cross bands; belly whitish, unspotted; upper labials 7: 

 western Texas to Arizona. 



24. Chilomeniscus Cope. Small, stout burrowing snakes with a 

 prominent rounded, flattened snout; scales smooth, in 13 rows; anal 

 plate divided; no loreal plate: i species. 



C. ephippicus Cope. Length 120 mm.; tail 16 mm.; color red or 

 orange, with 21 black cross bars in front of the anus; belly white: 

 southern Arizona and Cahfornia. 



25. Natrix Laurenti (rro^f(/owo/w5 Kuhl). Water snakes. Thick- 

 bodied non-poisonous snakes with a distinct head and with keeled 

 scales in from 19 to 33 rows; ventrals about 140; colors brown or black: 

 many species in North America and Eurasia, all viviparous and semi- 

 aquatic, living along the borders of streams or ponds and feeding on 

 frogs, fish and other cold blooded animals. 



Key to the United States Species of Natrix 



ai Body striped longitudinally. 



bi Scales in 19 rows; upper labials 7. 



Ci Abdomen with 2 brown stripes; eastern States N. septemvittata. 



Co Abdomen with 2 rows of black spots; southeastern 



States N. rigida. 



C3 Abdomen plain or with a central black stripe; central 



States N. grahami. 



b2 Scales in 21 rows; Gulf States N. clarki. 



a-: Body with transverse bands or spots, sometimes plain. 



bi Scales in 19 rows; in the central States N. kirtlandi. 



b2 Scales in 21 rows; Florida N. compressicauda. 



bs Scales in 23 to 25 rows; eastern and central States N. sipedon. 



hi Scales in 27 rows; Mississippi Valley N. rhombifera. 



bs Scales in 29 to 2,2) rows. 



Ci Back with many narrow cross bands N. cyclopion. 



Co Back with large square blotches N. taxispilota. 



N. septemvittata (Say). Moon-snake; queen-snake.. Length 600 

 mm.; tail 120 mm.; color dark brown, with 3 narrow, black dorsal 

 stripes, often indistinct, and a bright yellow lateral band; belly yellow, 

 with 2 brown bands: United States east of the Mississippi, except New 

 England and New York; common. 



N. rigida (Say) . Length 560 mm. ; tail 1 20 mm. ; color brown, with 2 

 narrow black stripes; belly yellow, with 2 stripes or rows of black spots: 

 extreme southeast. 



