Rainbow Snake

Abastor erythrogrammus (Daudin)

Also called: Mud Snake. A large and very showy serpent, with smooth, glassy scales.

Colouration: Purplish-black, or rich, dark blue; along the back from the neck to the tail are three stripes of dark red-sometimes deep orange. A band of pale yellow on the sides the width of three rows of scales.
Dimensions: The writer's largest specimen was 4 feet, 9 inches long, with a diameter of 2 inches at the thickest part of the body. This is considerably over the average size, given in the following table:
Distribution: Most abundant in the swampy, coastal region of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The range is from Virginia to the Gulf of Mexico. This snake does not extend as far westward as the succeeding species.
Habits: The Rainbow Snake lives in swampy, timbered areas and along the borders of strems, where it burrows into the damp soil or into and under decayed and fallen trees. When freshly caught it will thrash about to escape, but seldom shows the least symptom of hostility.

Abdomen red, with two rows of large, blue-black spots, running the length of the body; between these is a row of much smaller spots, beginning some distance down the neck and extending to within a short distance of the tail.

Head dark, with obscure red markings; the upper lip plates are yellow and each contains a large, black spot.

Young specimens show the same pattern as the adult.

Total Length . . . . . 48 inches.

Length of Tail . . . . . 6 1/2 inches.

Greatest Diameter . . . . . 1 1/4 inches.

Width of Head . . . . . 7/8 inches.

Length of Head . . . . . 1 3/8 inches.

As a captive, this snake always tries to hide in sand or moss, and lives but a short time unless provided with a substance in which it can burrow. Adult specimens cannot be induced to eat, but will live and continue vigorous for many months without other nourishment than water; they drink; considerable quantities. Thus the food habits are practically unknown with the exception of the feeding of young individuals; they will occasionally take earthworms.

The Rainbow Snake is oviparous, depositing from 24 to 50 bluntly oval, white eggs, with a perfectly smooth integument. A four-foot specimen laid 43 eggs on the 7th of July; when deposited the eggs were 1 1/2 inches long and 1 inch in diameter; they hatched on September 15th. The young snakes were 9 1/4 inches long and 5/16 of an inch in diameter at the thickest part of the body. Another snake laid 40 eggs on July 13th, and a third deposited 23 eggs on the 14th of August.