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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

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Maximum longevity: 19.3 years (captivity)
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Trophic Strategy

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Queen snakes eat mainly crayfish. They prefer to eat freshly molted crayfish to avoid ingesting the hard exoskeletons. Occasionally they take small fish and tadpoles. Queen snakes search for prey by swimming and searching under rocks and other underwater debris where prey are hiding. They use their powerful sense of chemosensation to find prey.

Animal Foods: amphibians; fish; aquatic crustaceans

Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats non-insect arthropods)

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Dewey, T. 2008. "Regina septemvittata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Regina_septemvittata.html
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Associations

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Queen snakes are preyed on by herons and raccoons. They may also be eaten by larger snakes, predatory fish, large frogs, hawks, otters, and mink. Small queen snakes may also be threatened by their crayfish prey if grabbed by their strong claws. Queen snakes are not aggressive but will bite if harassed and will smear their attacker with foul smelling secretions if grabbed.

Known Predators:

  • herons (Ardeidae)
  • raccoons (Procyon lotor)
  • northern river otters (Lontra canadensis)
  • American mink (Neovison vison)
  • larger snakes (Serpentes)
  • predatory fish (Actinopterygii)
  • large frogs (Rana)
  • hawks (Accipitridae)

Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic

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Dewey, T. 2008. "Regina septemvittata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Regina_septemvittata.html
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Morphology

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Queen snakes are colubrid snakes measuring 34 to 92.2 cm in total length. The dorsal surface is typically brownish or olive-colored. The species is distinguishable by a yellow band running horizontally down the sides and onto the labial scales. Younger individuals exhibit horizontal black bands on the dorsum. The ventral scales are bright yellow, with 4 brownish lengthwise stripes that converge towards the tail. Their scales are keeled and there are 19 dorsal rows at the mid-body. Queen snakes have rounded pupils. Unlike similar-looking garter snakes, queen snakes have a divided anal plate and lack a light dorsal stripe.

Range length: 34 to 92.2 cm.

Other Physical Features: heterothermic

Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike

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Dewey, T. 2008. "Regina septemvittata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Regina_septemvittata.html
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Life Expectancy

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It is not known how long queen snakes live in the wild. A captive lived for over 19 years.

Range lifespan
Status: captivity:
19 (high) years.

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Dewey, T. 2008. "Regina septemvittata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Regina_septemvittata.html
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Habitat

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Queen snakes are semi-aquatic and are found near shallow, rocky rivers and streams, the edges of lakes, ponds, ditches, and canals, and in marshes. They are found in habitats with abundant crayfish. Preferred habitats are open or partly shaded. Queen snakes bask on rocks and logs along the water's edge or hang from tree limbs above the water. In the northern part of their range they hibernate in the burrows of crayfish or mammals.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; freshwater

Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams

Wetlands: marsh ; swamp

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Dewey, T. 2008. "Regina septemvittata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Regina_septemvittata.html
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Distribution

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Queen snakes, Regina septemvittata, range from the southern Great Lakes south to the Florida panhandle and east through the Carolinas and north to southeastern Pennsylvania, New York, and the Georgian Bay in Ontario. These snakes are generally restricted to east of the Mississippi River, although there is a disjunct population in south-central Arkansas and Missouri. A third, small population of queen snakes occurs on Bois Blanc Island in Lake Huron.

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

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Dewey, T. 2008. "Regina septemvittata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Regina_septemvittata.html
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Associations

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Queen snakes impact crayfish populations as specialist crayfish predators. They are also prey for many small to medium-sized predators.

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Dewey, T. 2008. "Regina septemvittata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Regina_septemvittata.html
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Benefits

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Queen snakes are valuable members of the ecosystems they live in.

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Dewey, T. 2008. "Regina septemvittata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Regina_septemvittata.html
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Benefits

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There are no known negative effects of queen snakes on humans. Some fishermen kill queen snakes because they think they compete with them for fish. They misunderstand what crayfish eat.

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Dewey, T. 2008. "Regina septemvittata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Regina_septemvittata.html
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Life Cycle

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The eggs of queen snakes develop within the bodies of females, where they hatch. Females then give birth to live young.

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Dewey, T. 2008. "Regina septemvittata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Regina_septemvittata.html
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Conservation Status

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Queen snake populations are considered stable throughout most of their range. Populations in the Great Lakes region and the Delmarva peninsula of Maryland seem to be declining as a result of habitat degradation, such as development along streams, rivers, and lakes, draining of wetlands, and pollution and siltation of aquatic systems.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

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Dewey, T. 2008. "Regina septemvittata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Regina_septemvittata.html
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Behavior

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Like other snakes, queen snakes use their sense of chemical perception (smell) to find prey and mates. They use their vision as well and are likely to be sensitive to vibrations. Aside from mating interactions, little is known about communication among queen snakes.

Communication Channels: chemical

Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; vibrations ; chemical

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Dewey, T. 2008. "Regina septemvittata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Regina_septemvittata.html
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Reproduction

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Males find receptive females by using their tongues to sense chemical cues. If a female is ready to mate, the male aligns his body and vent with hers and copulation ensues.

Mating System: polygynous

Queen snakes breed in the spring, typically in May. They are a live-bearing snake species and give birth to 5 to 31 (usually 10 to 12) from August to September. Males and females reach sexual maturity at 2 years old, but its likely that females don't breed for the first time until they are 3 years old.

Breeding interval: Queen snakes breed once yearly.

Breeding season: Queen snakes breed in the spring, often in May.

Range number of offspring: 5 to 31.

Average number of offspring: 11.

Range gestation period: 90 to 120 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2 years.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; oviparous

Females expend significant energy in supplying their eggs with nutrients and gestating them. Once the young are born, however, females do not provide care.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)

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Dewey, T. 2008. "Regina septemvittata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Regina_septemvittata.html
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Distribution

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Continent: North-America
Distribution: SE Canada (Ontario), USA (Arkansas, SE Wisconsin, NE Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, W New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, N/W Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, SW Missouri, NW Florida)
Type locality: Pennsylvania
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Queen snake

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The queen snake (Regina septemvittata) is a species of nonvenomous semiaquatic snake, a member of the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America.

Common names

R. septemvittata is known by many common names, including the following: banded water snake, brown queen snake, diamond-back water snake, leather snake, moon snake, North American seven-banded snake, olive water snake, pale snake, queen water snake, seven-striped water snake, striped water snake, three-striped water snake, willow snake, and yellow-bellied snake.[5]

Geographic range

R. septemvittata ranges through the temperate region of North America east of the Mississippi River from western New York state to Wisconsin and south to Alabama and northern Florida. It is also found in the southwestern parts of Ontario.

New Jersey was at the edge of its range and it is now believed to be extirpated from the state.[6] Decreases in Queen snake populations can be most attributed to a loss of food sources through stream channelization, bank erosion, and water pollution. [7]

Ventral surface.

Appearance

The queen snake is similar in appearance to a garter snake, genus Thamnophis, so is often confused with that group. The queen snake is olive to gray or dark brown in overall coloration, with peach or yellow stripes that run down its length at the first scale row. There are also four prominent ventral stripes of a darker colour, and as no other similar species has stripes running down the length of its belly, this is an important feature in identifying this snake. In the young and juvenile snakes there are three extra stripes: one stripe that runs along the vertebral dorsal scales, and two stripes (one on each side) that run down the length of the body at scale rows five and six. These extra stripes tend to fade as the snake matures, but when young the snake will have a total of seven stripes, three on the back and four on the belly, which gives cause for its taxonomical reference name, Regina (queen) septemvittata (seven-striped). The belly of the snake is a cream to yellow colour.

The head of the queen snake is narrow and has nine large plate-like scales on the top, and the chin has several rows of thicker scales. This is a protective adaptation, for the snake's feeding habit of chasing its prey under rocks. The pupil of the eye is round, a feature shared with most other colubrids. There are 19 rows of keeled dorsal scales at midbody, and the anal plate is divided. The sexes are often difficult to distinguish based on external characteristics. Male queen snakes have relatively longer tails than females. Males have from 65 to 89 subcaudal scutes (average 76), with the tail from 23% to 34% of the snake's total length. Females have 54 to 87 subcaudals (average 69), with tails equal to 19% to 27% of total length.

Nine plate-like scales on top of head.

Queen snakes are not large, and they seldom grow to more than 24 inches (61 cm) in total length (including tail). The females are generally slightly larger than the males.

Reproduction

Female queen snakes will be fully sexually mature at three years of age, males at two years. Breeding takes place in the spring and autumn months. If mating was in the autumn, the female can delay giving birth until spring, storing the energy she will need through the months that she will be in a period of brumation. This snake is ovoviviparous, the female giving birth to live young after carrying the eggs within her body. This differs from oviparous and viviparous snakes. Litter size can vary from 5 to 20, and the time for an individual birth is from 1.5 to 2.5 minutes. Time between individual births is 4 minutes to 1 hour, with the average time being 11 minutes.

The newly born snakes will be approximately 6 in (15 cm) long and weigh 0.1 ounces (2.8 g). Newborn snakes begin to grow very rapidly and may shed their skin twice in their first week while living on the nutrient rich yolk stores they preserve through this time in their lives. The baby snakes are able to swim and move about and they must fend for themselves independently directly after birth. Juvenile queen snakes range from 17.5 to 23 cm (6.9 to 9.1 in) in length.

Habitat

The habitat requirements for the queen snake are very specific, and this snake is never found in areas that lack clean running streams and watersheds with stony and rocky bottoms. The water temperature must be a minimum of 50 °F (10 °C) during the snake's active months. This is in a large part due to the snake's dietary requirements. They subsist almost entirely on fresh water crayfish. It preys almost exclusively on newly-molted crayfish, which are not able to defend themselves effectively with their pincers. One study indicates that crayfish make up over 90% of the snake's diet.[8] Other sources of food include frogs, tadpoles, newts, minnows, snails, and fairy shrimp. The queen snake does not find its food by sight or heat detection, but by smell, using its tongue to carry the scent of its prey to receptors within its mouth. In this way it is able to home in on its prey, even under water.

Habits

The queen snake is in a period of brumation throughout the winter months, and groups of them can be found in "hibernacula", near water. These hibernation dens can be inside old bridge abutments, cracked concrete retaining walls and dams, and in niches of bedrock. During this time, the snakes are lethargic, and their main prey, crayfish, may become the predator, particularly of the young snakes.

Basking.

It is a diurnal species, but it can be found moving about and hunting at night as well. They are often found by turning over rocks within or near the brooks and streams they inhabit. They will also come out of the water to bask in the sun, often perching on branches or roots above or near the waters edge. Queen snakes are very alert to any potential danger and will drop into the water when disturbed. They are rather docile snakes, not too likely to bite. Their main defenses are thrashing, spinning, and secreting malodorous feces and anal musk, similar to the behaviour of the garter snake in this defense. [9] Queen snakes have been shown to use the sun for celestial orientation in their habitat.[10]

Predators of queen snakes are raccoons, otters, mink, hawks and herons. Large frogs and fish will also eat the young snakes. When approached by predators, queen snakes will flee a distance directly related to their internal temperature.[11] The main threat to the queen snake is habitat loss as waterways are drained, disturbed or polluted. Crayfish, their main food, are sensitive to acidification and accumulation of heavy metals. Thus, as waterways have become polluted and crayfish have died out, the queen snake population has declined throughout its former range. In many areas the queen snake has disappeared or has become in danger of doing so.

Diet

Queen snakes are described as dietary specialists, feeding primarily on crayfish. They have been documented favoring crayfish that are freshly molted. R. septemvittata are especially sensitive to a chemical compound called ecdysone that is produced by crayfish during their molting cycle which help them find that prey easier. One study done offered crayfish during their molting cycle and crayfish not on their molting cycle to queen snakes to see which they preferred. The results showed that the queen snakes would not eat the prey if it was not releasing ecdysone. If none of these prey can be found, queen snakes will resort to eating small fish. [12]

References

  1. ^ Hammerson, G.A. (2007). "Regina septemvittata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2007: e.T63887A12717768. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63887A12717768.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ Boulenger GA (1893). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume I., Containing the Families ... Colubridæ Aglyphæ, part. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 448 pp. + Plates I-XXVIII. (Tropidonotus septemvittatus, p. 239).
  3. ^ Stejneger L, Barbour T (1917). A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 125 pp. (Natrix septemvittata, p. 96).
  4. ^ Regina septemvittata at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 29 March 2021.
  5. ^ Wright, Albert Hazen; Wright, Anna Allen (1957). Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates, A Division of Cornell University Press. 1,105 pp. (in 2 volumes). (Natrix septemvittata, pp. 506-510, Figure 149 + Map 40 on p. 491).
  6. ^ "Snakes of New Jersey" (PDF). New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife.
  7. ^ Neill, Wilfred T. (1941-11-21). "A Dicephalic Queen Snake". Copeia. 1941 (4): 266. doi:10.2307/1437484. ISSN 0045-8511. JSTOR 1437484.
  8. ^ "Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on August 31, 2005. Retrieved August 25, 2005.
  9. ^ Herps of Arkansas. Herps of Arkansas: Queensnake (Regina septemvittata). (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2022, from https://herpsofarkansas.com/Snake/ReginaSeptemvittata
  10. ^ Newcomer, R. Thomas; Taylor, Douglas H.; Guttman, Sheldon I. (1974). "Celestial Orientation in Two Species of Water Snakes (Natrix sipedon and Regina septemvittata)". Herpetologica. 30 (2): 194–200. ISSN 0018-0831.
  11. ^ Layne, J. R., & Ford, N. B. (1984). Flight Distance of the Queen Snake, Regina septemvittata. Journal of Herpetology, 18(4), 496–498. https://doi.org/10.2307/1564115
  12. ^ Jackrel, & Reinert, H. K. (2011). Behavioral Responses of a Dietary Specialist, the Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata), to Potential Chemoattractants Released by Its Prey. Journal of Herpetology, 45(3), 272–276. https://doi.org/10.1670/10-047.1
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Queen snake: Brief Summary

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The queen snake (Regina septemvittata) is a species of nonvenomous semiaquatic snake, a member of the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America.

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