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(Rhinocheilus lecontei)
| Identification: Small white spots on sides
of black “saddles” across back of adults; spaces between black saddles
pink or red; upper scales smooth (unkeeled); belly whitish or yellowish,
with few dark spots; snout long, with slightly raised scale at tip; anal
scale single; scales on underside of tail mostly in single row; maximum
total length about 104 cm (41 inches), though rarely more than 75 cm (30
inches).
Hatchling: white
speckling on sides may be reduced or absent, red pigmentation
reduced.
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Habitat: Plains grassland and, more often, sandhill
habitat, plus weedy areas in river valleys. Takes shelter under rocks or in
burrows
.
Life History:
Reproductive characteristics are
poorly known. Females produce eggs in July, and hatchlings likely emerge in late
August or September. The diet of this constrictor includes lizards and their
eggs, rodents, small snakes, and sometimes insects.