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Carphophis amoenus (SAY, 1825)

IUCN Red List - Carphophis amoenus - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaColubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesCarphophis amoenus amoenus (SAY 1825)
Carphophis amoenus helenae (KENNICOTT 1859) 
Common NamesE: amoenus: Eastern Worm Snake
helenae: Midwestern Wormsnake
G: Wurmschlange 
SynonymColuber amoenus SAY 1825: 237
Calamaria amoena — SCHLEGEL 1837: 130 (fide DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854)
Celata amoena — BAIRD & GIRARD 1853 (fide DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854)
Carphophis amoenus — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 131
Carphophis amoena — GARMAN 1884: 100
Carphophis amoenus amoenus — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 180
Carphophis amoenus amoenus — CROTHER 2000: 57
Carphophis amoenus amoenus — TENNANT & BARTLETT 2000: 82
Carphophis amoenus amoenus — CROTHER et al. 2012
Carphophis amoenus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 149
Carphophis amoenus amoenus — GUYER et al. 2018

Carphophis amoenus helenae (KENNICOTT 1859)
Celuta helenae KENNICOTT 1859: 100
Carphophis amoena var. Helenae — JAN 1865
Carphophis helenae — GARMAN 1884: 100
Carphophis amoena helenae — CONANT 1938
Carphophis amoenus helenae — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 181
Carphophis amoenus helenae — CROTHER 2000: 57
Carphophis amoenus helenae — TENNANT & BARTLETT 2000: 83
Carphophis amoenus helenae — CROTHER et al. 2012
Carphophis amoenus helenae — GUYER et al. 2018 
DistributionUSA (Arkansas ?, E Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Nebraska, N Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, S Illinois, S Indiana, S Ohio, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, SE New York, Connecticut)

Type locality: Pennsylvania

helenae: USA (Ohio, Kentucky, Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama, etc.); Type locality: “Monticello, Miss., [...], Southern Illinois (abundant in the woods)”;  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: unlocated (neither ANSP nor USNM), a 261 mm specimen.
Syntypes: UMMZ 3779, USNM 131708, USNM 2182, 2183 [helenae] 
Diagnosis 
CommentEtymology: Carphophis amoenus helenae has been named after Miss Helen Teunison, apparently one of the collectors of the types.

Type species: Coluber amoenus SAY 1825: 237 is the type species of the genus Carphophis GERVAIS in D’ORBIGNY 1843. 
EtymologyThe genus name Carphophis is derived from the Greek words karphos, meaning a dry particle or twig and referring to a woodland habitat, and ophis, a snake.

C. aemonus is named after Latin “amoenus” = pleasing or lovely, possibly after the shiny pattern or the harmless behavior.

Carphophis amoenus helenae has been named after Miss Helen Teunison, apparently one of the collectors of the types. 
References
  • Burt, Charles E. 1933. A contribution to the herpetology of Kentucky. American Midland Naturalist 14 (6): 669-679 - get paper here
  • Camper, Jeffrey D. 2019. The Reptiles of South Carolina. University of South Carolina Press, 288 pp. [review in Copeia 107 (3): 590, 2019] - get paper here
  • Clark, Donald R., Jr. 1968. A proposal of specific status for the western worm snake, Carphophis amoenus vermis (Kennicott). Herpetologica 24 (2): 104-112 - get paper here
  • Conant, Roger 1938. The Reptiles of Ohio. American Midland Naturalist 20 (1): 1-200 - get paper here
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  • Harris, H.S., Jr. 2006. Translucent Skin/Scales in Carphophis amoenus amoenus Bull. Maryland Herpetol. Soc., 42(4): 188-189. - get paper here
  • Harris, H.S., Jr. 2010. Fall mating Observation in the Eastern Wormsnake, Carphophis amoenus amoenus, in Maryland Bull. Maryland Herpetol. Soc., 46(1-4): 20. - get paper here
  • Irwin, Kelly J. 2004. Arkansas Snake Guide. Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, Little Rock, 50 pp.
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  • Kennicott, R. 1859. Notes on Coluber calligaster of Say, and a description of a new species of Serpents in the collection of the north Western University of Evanston,Ill. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 11: 98-100 - get paper here
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  • Klueh, Sarabeth and Jason Mirtl. 2013. Geographic Distribution: Carphophis amoenus helenae (midwestern wormsnake). Herpetological Review 44 (2): 274 - get paper here
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