Carphophis vermis (KENNICOTT, 1859)

Find more photos by Google images search:

Higher Taxa	Colubridae (Dipsadinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies
Common Names	E: Western Worm Snake
Synonym	Celuta vermis KENNICOTT 1859: 99 Carphophiops amoena var. vermis — GARMAN 1884: 101 Carphophiops vermis — COPE 1893: 385 Carphophiops vermis — COPE 1900: 737 Carphophis vermis — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 181 Carphophis vermis — CROTHER 2000: 57 Carphophis amoenus vermis — CRAVEN & KNUDSEN 1996 Carphophis amoenus vermis — TENNANT & BARTLETT 2000: 84 Carphophis vermis — COLLINS & TAGGART 2002 Carphophis vermis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 149
Distribution	USA (S Iowa, SE Nebraska, E Kansas, Missouri, Louisiana, E Oklahoma, NE-Texas; isolated records from SW Wisconsin, SE Arkansas) Type locality: Missouri
Reproduction	oviparous. Hybridizes with with Carphophis amoenus helenae in a relictual, disjunct area in NE-Louisiana (CONANT & COLLINS 1991).
Types	Holotype: CHAS (was NWU, but probably lost; not in USNM) (P.R. Hoy).
Diagnosis	Diagnosis and comparisons: C. amoenus with pale ventral pigmentantion extending dorsally to body scale row 1 or 2; dorsal coloration tan to dark or chestnut brown. In vermis, the pale ventral pigmentation extends dorsally to body scale row 3; the dorsal coloration is dark gray to gray-violet. (Ernst 2003). Additional details (1024 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details.
Comment
Etymology	The specific epithet is derived from the Latin vermis (worm).
References	Aldridge, R.D. & D.E. Metter 1973. The reproductive cycle of the Western Worm Snake, Carphophis vermis, in Missouri Copeia 1973 (3): 472-477. - get paper here Bailey, Reeve M. 1939. Carphophis amoena vermis and Lampropeltis calligaster in Iowa. Copeia 1939 (4): 218-220 - 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 Collins J T 1991. Viewpoint: a new taxonomic arrangement for some North American amphibians and reptiles. Herpetological Review 22 (2): 42-43 - get paper here Collins, J.T. & Collins, S.L. 2009. A pocket guide to Kansas snakes, 2nd ed. Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, 69 pp. Collins, J.T. & Collins, S.L. 2010. A pocket guide to Kansas snakes, 3rd ed. Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, 69 pp. Collins, J.T. and T. W. Taggart 2002. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians, Fifth Edition. Center for North American Herpetology, 52 pp. Collins, Joseph T. 2008. New Records of Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles in Kansas for 2007. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (25): 9 - get paper here Conant,R. & Collins,J.T. 1991. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern/Central North America, 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin (Boston/New York), xx + 450 p. Cope, E.D. 1893. On a collection of batrachia and reptilia from southwest Missouri. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 1893: 383-385 - get paper here Craven, S.R. & Knudsen, G.J. 1996. Snakes of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin. Crother, B. I. (ed.) 2012. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians, Seventh Edition. Herpetological Circular 39: 1-92 Dixon, James R. 2000. Amphibians and reptiles of Texas, second edition. Texas A&M University Press, 421 pp. Dundee, H.A., & Rossman, D.A. 1989. The amphibians and reptiles of Louisiana. Louisiana St. Univ. Press, Baton Rouge 300 pp. Force, Edith R. 1928. A Preliminary Checklist of Amphibians and Reptiles of Tulsa County. Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science 8: - get paper here Garman, Samuel 1884. The reptiles and batrachians of North America. Mem. Mus. comp. Zool, Cambridge (Massachusetts), 8 (3): xxxiv + 185 pp. [1883] [CNAH reprint 10] - get paper here Irwin, Kelly J. 2004. Arkansas Snake Guide. Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, Little Rock, 50 pp. 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 O’Shea, M. 2018. The Book of Snakes. Ivy Press / Quarto Publishing, London, - get paper here Parmerlee Jr, John S.; Robert Powell 2021. An amelanistic Western Wormsnake (Carphophis vermis) from Missouri, USA. Reptiles & Amphibians 28 (2): 306 Robison, H. W. & McAllister, C. T. 2012. Geographic distribution: Carphophis vermis (western worm snake). Herpetological Review 43: 447 - get paper here Rossman, D. A. 1973. Evidence for the conspecificity of Carphophis amoenus (Say) and Carphophis vermis (Kennicott). Journal of Herpetology 7 (2): 140-141 - get paper here SIEBENECK, ZANE M. 2021. Geographic distribution: CARPHOPHIS VERMIS (Western Wormsnake). USA: MISSOURI: Adair Co. Herpetological Review 52 (3): 577–578. - get paper here Tennant, A. & Bartlett, R.D. 2000. Snakes of North America - Eastern and Central Regions. Gulf Publishing, Houston, TX, 588 pp. Tumlison, Renn. 2014. Geographic Distribution: Carphophis vermis (western wormsnake). Herpetological Review 45 (3): 464-465 - get paper here VanDeWalle, Terry 2022. The Natural History of the Snakes and Lizards of Iowa. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City, Iowa, 384 pp. ISBN: 978-1- 609388-37-9. [review in HR 54 (1): 151] - get paper here Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp. Werler, John E. & James R. Dixon 2000. Texas Snakes. University of Texas Press, 544 pages
External links	IUCN Red List National Center for Biotechnology Information http://www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/snakes/ http://www.naherpetology.org/detail.asp?id=30 Google images

Is it interesting? Share with others:

Please submit feedback about this entry to the curator