Thamnophis couchii

Thamnophis couchii

Taxonavigation

Taxonavigation: Colubroidea

Superregnum: Eukaryota Cladus: Unikonta Cladus: Opisthokonta Cladus: Holozoa Regnum: Animalia Subregnum: Eumetazoa Cladus: Bilateria Cladus: Nephrozoa Superphylum: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Megaclassis: Osteichthyes Cladus: Sarcopterygii Cladus: Rhipidistia Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes Cladus: Elpistostegalia Superclassis: Tetrapoda Cladus: Reptiliomorpha Cladus: Amniota Classis: Reptilia Cladus: Eureptilia Cladus: Romeriida Subclassis: Diapsida Cladus: Sauria Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha Superordo: Lepidosauria Ordo: Squamata Cladus: Unidentata, Episquamata Cladus: Toxicofera Subordo: Serpentes Infraordo: Caenophidia Superfamilia: Colubroidea

Familia: Colubridae
Subfamilia: Natricinae
Genus: Thamnophis
Species: Thamnophis couchii

Name

Thamnophis couchii (Kennicott in Baird, 1859)

• Holotype: USNM 866, adult ♀, collected by J.S. Newberry [Pacific Railroad Expedition] in 1855.
• Type locality: “Bank of Pit River, California”, speficied as “near mouth of Hat Creek”, tributary of the Pit River, Sasha County, California, by Fitch (1940: 59).

Combinations

• Eutaenia couchii Kennicott in Baird, 1859: 10 [original combination]
• Thamnophis ordinoides couchii — Van Denburgh & Slevin, 1918: 251 [subsequent combination, reduce to subspecies]
• Thamnophis elegans couchii — Fox, 1948: 120 [subsequent combination, as subspecies]
• Thamnophis couchii — Fox & Dessauer, 1964: 266 [subsequent combination, restaure to species]

References

Primary references

• Baird, S.F. 1859. Zoological report. No. 4. Report on reptiles collected on the survey. pp. 9–13, pls. 11, 28, 30, 44 in Williamson, R.S. & Abbot, H.L. (Eds.). Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, 1853-6. Explorations for a railroad route, from the Sacramento Valley to the Columbia River. Volume 10. Government Printing Office: Washington, D.C.
• Van Denburgh, J. & Slevin, J.R. 1918. The garter-snakes of western North America. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences Ser. 4, 8(6): 181–270. BHL
• Fitch, H.S. 1940. A Biogeographical Study of the Ordinoides Artenkreis of Garter Snakes (genus Thamnophis). University of California Publications in Zoology 44: 1–150. Reference page. 
• Fox, W. 1948. The relationships of the garter snake Thamnophis ordinoides. Copeia 1948(2): 113–120. DOI: 10.2307/1438415 JSTOR
• Fox, W. & Dessauer, H.C. 1964. Collection of garter snakes for blood studies. Yearbook of the American Philosophical Society 1964: 263–266.

Additional references

• Rossman, D.A. & Stewart, G.R. 1987. Taxonomic reevaluation of Thamnophis couchii (Serpentes, Colubridae). Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, Louisiana State University 63: 1–25. PDF Reference page. 

Links

• Uetz, P. & Hallermann, J. 2024. Thamnophis couchii. The Reptile Database. Accessed on 5 May 2018.
• Hammerson, G.A. 2007. IUCN: Thamnophis couchii  (Least Concern). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2007: e.T63974A12732544. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63974A12732544.en

Vernacular names

English: Western Aquatic Garter Snake

For more multimedia, look at Thamnophis couchii on Wikimedia Commons.