Drymobius
Encyclopedia
Drymobius is a genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of colubrid
Colubrid
A colubrid is a member of the snake family Colubridae. This broad classification of snakes includes about two-thirds of all snake species on earth. The earliest species of the snake family date back to the Oligocene epoch. With 304 genera and 1,938 species, Colubridae is the largest snake family...

 snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...

s commonly referred to as neotropical racers. There are four species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 recognized in the genus.

Geographic range

They are found predominantly in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

, but they range as far north as the southern tip of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, and as far south as Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

.

Description

Drymobius species grow to .75-1 m (30-40 inches) in total length. Their coloration and pattern vary widely among species.

Behaviour

Drymobius are diurnal
Diurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...

 species, found in areas of heavy vegetation, almost always near a permanent water source. They are fast moving, and do not generally hesitate to bite if handled.

Reproduction

Breeding occurs in the spring, and clutches of 6-8 eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...

 are laid in the early summer. The eggs hatch in approximately two months. Hatchlings are 15-18 cm (6-7 inches) in total length.

Species

  • green highland racer, Drymobius chloroticus (Cope
    Edward Drinker Cope
    Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...

    , 1886) - Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
  • speckled racer, Drymobius margaritiferus
    Drymobius margaritiferus
    Drymobius margaritiferus, commonly known as the Speckled Racer, is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake native to the Americas. The specific name, margariiferus, means "pearl-bearing" in Latin, referring to the pearl-like spots on the dorsal scales.-Geographic range:It is found from the Lower...

    (Schlegel
    Hermann Schlegel
    Hermann Schlegel was a German ornithologist and herpetologist.-Early life and education:Schlegel was born at Altenburg, the son of a brassfounder. His father collected butterflies, which stimulated Schlegel's interest in natural history...

    , 1837) - United States (Texas), Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Colombia.
    • Drymobius margaritiferus margaritiferus (Schlegel
      Hermann Schlegel
      Hermann Schlegel was a German ornithologist and herpetologist.-Early life and education:Schlegel was born at Altenburg, the son of a brassfounder. His father collected butterflies, which stimulated Schlegel's interest in natural history...

      , 1837)
    • Drymobius margaritiferus fistulosus (Smith
      Hobart M. Smith
      Hobart Muir Smith, born Frederick William Stouffer , is an American herpetologist. He was born in Stanwood, Iowa, United States. He has been credited with describing several new species of North American reptiles and amphibians...

      , 1942)
    • Drymobius margaritiferus occidentalis (Bocourt
      Marie Firmin Bocourt
      Marie Firmin Bocourt was a French zoologist and artist.In zoology, Bocourt collaborated with Auguste Duméril. In 1861, he was sent to Thailand , where he explored the fauna and brought back an important collection of specimens...

      , 1890)
  • black forest racer, Drymobius melanotropis
    Drymobius melanotropis
    Drymobius melanotropis, commonly known as the black forest racer, is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake native to the Americas.-Description:...

    (Cope
    Edward Drinker Cope
    Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...

    , 1876) - Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
  • Esmarald racer, Drymobius rhombifer (Günther
    Albert C. L. G. Günther
    Albert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther FRS, also Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther , was a German-born British zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist....

    ), 1860) - Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil.
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