Texas Snakes A Field Guide

About this book

With species ranging from the legendary, fear-inspiring western diamond-backed rattlesnake to the tiny threadsnakes, Texas has a greater diversity of snakes than any other state in the country. This fully illustrated field guide to Texas snakes, written by two of the state's most respected herpetologists and updated by their student and later colleague, gives you the most current and complete information to identify and understand all 111 species and subspecies.

Texas Snakes: A Field Guide has all the resources you need to identify snakes in the wild and in your own backyard:
- 113 full-color, close-up photos that show every snake, as well as 39 detailed line drawings
- 113 range maps
- Up-to-date species accounts that describe each snake’s appearance, look-alikes, size, and habitats
- A checklist of all Texas snakes with a key to the species
- Reliable information on venomous snakes and prevention of or initial treatment for snakebite
- Concise discussion of conservation, classification, and identification approaches

Drawn from the lead authors' monumental, definitive Texas Snakes: Identification, Distribution, and Natural History, this field guide is your must-have source for identifying any snakes you see in Texas.

Contents

Preface to the Revised Edition
Preface to the First Edition
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Conservation
Venomous Snakes: Their Venom and Bite
Snake Classification and Identification
Defining the Snake
Making an Identification
Aberrant Snakes
Naming The Snake
Taxonomic Issues
Organization of Species and Subspecies Accounts
Description of Families
Arrangement of Species and Subspecies
The Maps
Citations
Checklist of Texas Snakes
Key to the Species of Texas Snakes

Species and Subspecies Accounts
Family Leptotyphlopidae
    Threadsnakes
    New Mexico Threadsnake
    Plains Threadsnake
    South Texas Threadsnake
    Trans-Pecos Threadsnake
Family Typhlopidae
    Blindsnakes
    Brahminy Blindsnake
Family Colubridae
    Colubrids
    Kansas Glossy Snake
    Texas Glossy Snake
    Painted Desert Glossy Snake
    Trans-Pecos Ratsnake
    Western Wormsnake
    Northern Scarlet Snake
    Texas Scarlet Snake
    Buttermilk Racer
    Tan Racer
    Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer
    Mexican Racer
    Southern Black Racer
    Tamaulipan Black-striped Snake
    Prairie Ring-necked Snake
    Regal Ring-necked Snake
    Mississippi Ring-necked Snake
    Texas Indigo Snake
    Speckled Racer
    Baird’s Ratsnake
    Great Plains Ratsnake
    Southwestern Ratsnake
    Western Ratsnake
    Slowinski’s Cornsnake
    Western Mudsnake
    Tamaulipan Hook-nosed Snake
    Chihuahuan Hook-nosed Snake
    Mexican Hog-nosed Snake
    Plains Hog-nosed Snake
    Dusty Hog-nosed Snake
    Eastern Hog-nosed Snake
    Chihuahuan Nightsnake
    Gray-banded Kingsnake
    Prairie Kingsnake
    Speckled Kingsnake
    Desert Kingsnake
    Louisiana Milksnake
    Mexican Milksnake
    New Mexico Milksnake
    Central Plains Milksnake
    Cat-eyed Snake
    Eastern Coachwhip
    Western Coachwhip
    Schott's Whipsnake
    Ruthven's Whipsnake
    Central Texas Whipsnake
    Gulf Saltmarsh Watersnake
    Mississippi Green Watersnake
    Blotched Watersnake
    Broad-banded Watersnake
    Florida Watersnake
    Brazos Watersnake
    Concho Watersnake
    Diamond-backed Watersnake
    Midland Watersnake
    Rough Greensnake
    Smooth Greensnake
    Sonoran Gophersnake
    Bullsnake
    Louisiana Pinesnake
    Graham’s Crayfish Snake
    Gulf Crayfish Snake
    Long-nosed Snake
    Big Bend Patch-nosed Snake
    Mountain Patch-nosed Snake
    Texas Patch-nosed Snake
    Variable Groundsnake
    Southern Texas Groundsnake
    Marsh Brownsnake
    Texas Brownsnake
    Florida Red-bellied Snake
    Mexican Black-headed Snake
    Trans-Pecos Black-headed Snake
    Flat-headed Snake
    Smith’s Black-headed Snake
    Plains Black-headed Snake
    Western Black-necked Gartersnake
    Eastern Black-necked Gartersnake
    Checkered Gartersnake
    Orange-striped Ribbonsnake
    Arid Land Ribbonsnake
    Gulf Coast Ribbonsnake
    Red-striped Ribbonsnake
    Plains Gartersnake
    Eastern Gartersnake
    Texas Gartersnake
    Red-sided Gartersnake
    Texas Lyresnake
    Northern Lined Snake
    Central Lined Snake
    Texas Lined Snake
    Rough Earthsnake
    Western Smooth Earthsnake
    Texas Venomous Snakes
Family Elapidae
    Coralsnakes and Their Allies
    Texas Coralsnake
Family Viperidae
    Vipers
    Southern Copperhead
    Broad-banded Copperhead
    Trans-Pecos Copperhead
    Western Cottonmouth
    Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake
    Timber Rattlesnake
    Mottled Rock Rattlesnake
    Banded Rock Rattlesnake
    Northern Black-tailed Rattlesnake
    Mohave Rattlesnake
    Prairie Rattlesnake
    Desert Massasauga
    Western Massasauga
    Western Pygmy Rattlesnake

Glossary
References
Index of Common Names
Index of Scientific Names

Customer Reviews

Biography

The late James R. Dixon was professor emeritus, curator emeritus in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at Texas A&M University. The late John E. Werler served as general curator and general manager of the Houston Zoological Gardens for thirty-six years. Michael R. J. Forstner is the Alexander-Stone Chair in Genetics and Regent’s Professor in the Department of Biology at Texas State University.