
TERRARIA AND AQUA-TERRARIA 

greenish tinge. . Length 36 inches. Found about streams in the entire 
Eastern section, most abundant east of the Alleghanies. 
Thamnophis sirtalis (Linn.), or Common Garter Snake, Striped Snake, 
is very similar to the foregoing. The colors are olivaceous with a narrow 
yellow dorsal stripe, three series of small dark spots on each side, and a 
paler stripe on the lower side. The under surface is pale straw-color with 
a greenish tinge. The most generally distributed snake, common to 
almost entire North America, in high grass and shady places. 
Natrix sipedon (Linn.), or Common Water Snake, False-Moccasin, 
has a large sub-oval flattened head with rounded snout; long robust body 
covered above with small sub-hexagonal strongly carinate scales, and 
broad plates on the lower side. The tail is large and triangular in form. 
The colors are dusky-brown with bands of dull-yellow, bordered with 
dark brown or black; and dirty-white or pale reddish-brown on the lower 
surface; somewhat variable in color. Length 30 to so inches. Found 
abundantly about streams, feeding on frogs and fishes. Ranging from 
New England to Kansas and south. It is ill tempered but harmless, 
This snake should not be confused with the Water Moccasin or Black 
Moccasin, a southern and western form, Agkistrodon piscivorous (Hol.,) 
which is also aquatic, often resting on bushes overhanging streams and is 
the most dangerous and treacherous of the United States snakes. 
Opheodrys estivus (Linn.), or Green Snake, has an elongated narrow 
conical head, a long and slender body, with carinate scales above, rather 
narrow plates below, and a very long and slender tail. The color above is 
a bright clear golden-green and clear yellowish-white on the under surface. 
Length 30 inches. This beautiful, harmless and gentle snake feeds upon 
insects, inhabits trees, and is often found on bushes over the water. 
Common from southern New Jersey to Indiana and south. 
Liopeltis vernalis(De Kay) or Grass Snake, is similar to the foregoing 
but smaller. Its color is a uniformly darker grass-green above, and less 
yellow, nearer to the white, below. Length 20 inches. It is harmless 
and is found in high grass and meadows, living on grasshopers and crickets, 
and occurs in the Eastern and Middle States north of the Carolinas. 
Bascanion constrictor (Linn.), or Black Snake, Blue Racer, has an 
elongated oval head with rather pointed prolonged snout; a long and 
slender body covered with smooth, large hexagonal scales above and broad 
plates below. The whole upper surface is lustrous pitch-or blue-black, 
with the throat white, the abdomen and the lower surface of the tail 
greenish-or bluish slate-color. The young are olivate in color with 
rhomboid black blotches. Length 59 to 60 inches. It is an active 
snake, running and climbing with facility, hence the popular name of 
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