Belize Biodiversity Information System

Taxonomy

Species ID	030500
Name	Schmidt's striped snake
Other Common Names
Category	03 Reptiles
Phylum
Subphylum
Class	Reptilia
Subclass
Suborder	Serpentes
Family	Colubridae
Genus	Coniophanes
Species	schmidti
Subspecies
References	2, 1
Scientific Synonyms	Coniophanes piceivittis schmidti, Bailey

Comments

2* This form has been treated variously as a subspecies of C. piceivittis (e.g., Werler and Smith, 1952; L. D. Wilson and Meyers, 1985:39) and as a full species (Stuart, 1963:92). It differs from C. piceivittis in having narrower dorsolateral stripes that are 1 to 1.5 scale rows wide. W. T. Neill and Allen (1960:146) described a specimen from Belize that was intermediate between C. schmidti and C. piceivittis but declined to synonymize the former on the basis of a single specimen that was aberrant in some respects. In a recent review of the C. piceivittis species complex, Harrison (1993) concluded that C. schmidti merits full specific status. McCoy (1969) reviewed C. schmidti in his treatment of the Coniophanes of the Yucat n Peninsula, and Harrison (1993) included the species in his taxonomic treatment of snakes of the C. piceivittis species group.

Distribution

DISTRICT	References
Toledo	5
Orange Walk	4
Corozal	5
Cayo	5

Administrative Unit	Occurrence	Abundance	Temporal	References
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data		5
Private land, see comments		Unknown, insuffient data	December	4
Private land, see comments	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data	December	4
Shipstern Nature Reserve				1
Caracol Archaeological Reserve	Photographed	Uncommon	July	3
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve				1

ELEVATION Association	References
401-600 m	5
0-100 m	4
1-200 m	5, 4

QUAD Distribution	References
16 00' to 16 15'; 88 45' to 89 00'	5
17 45' to 18 00'; 88 30' to 88 45'	4
16 45' to 17 00'; 89 00' to 89 15'	5, 1
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 45' to 89 00'	5, 1
18 15' to 18 30'; 88 00' to 88 15'	5, 1

Holdridge Life Zone Distribution	References
Subtropical wet	5
Subtropical Lower Montane moist	5
Subtropical moist	5, 4

Comments on Distribution

4* Lamanai Outpost Lodge, Indian Church

Habitat Associations

Forest Type Associations	Seral Stage	Canopy Closure	References
Agriculture, no native vegetation.	stage unknown	Canopy unknown	5
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	stage unknown	Canopy unknown	5
Broadleaf hill forests over limestone in steep terrain.	stage unknown	Canopy unknown	5
Lowland broadleaf moist semi-evergreen scrub forest.	stage unknown	Canopy unknown	5
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Sapote-Mahogany Forest	stage unknown	Canopy unknown	5
Disturbed scrub	stage unknown	Canopy unknown	5
Pine Forest and Orchard Savanna	stage unknown	Canopy unknown	5
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over limestone, central-western variant.	stage unknown	Canopy unknown	4
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Sapote-Mahogany	stage unknown	Canopy unknown	4.
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Sapote-Mahogany	stage unknown	Canopy unknown	4
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over limestone, central-western variant.	stage unknown	Canopy unknown	4

Food Habits

Comments on General Food Habits

2* These terrestrial, nocturnal, rear-fanged snakes inhabit lowland tropical forest. They are generally inoffensive and rarely bite. Nothing specific is known about their diet, but they probably feed mostly on frogs and lizards.

References/Lifestage	Reference Numbers
General	2

Life History

Life History Narrative

These terrestrial, nocturnal, rear-fanged snakes inhabit lowland tropical forest. They are generally inoffensive and rarely bite. Nothing specific is known about their diet, but they probably feed mostly on frogs and lizards. Like other Coniophanes, C. schmidti is oviparous. A specimen from Campeche collected in June contained four well-developed oviductal eggs.

Life History References

2

References

1  Meerman, J., 1994. Summary of Herpetofauna Distributions in Belize.
   Report to National Protected Areas Management Project.

2  Lee, Julian C. 1996.  The Amphibians and Reptiles of the Yucat n
   Peninsula.  Comstock Publishing Associates. Ithaca, New York.

3  Miller, Carolyn M. 1988. Photographic record library.

4  Platt, S. G. and Rainwater, T. R. 1998. Distribution and Life History
   Notes for Amphibians and Reptiles in Belize. Herpetological Review
   29(4), pp. 250-251.

5  Stafford, P. J., and J. R. Meyer.  2000. A guide to the reptiles
   of Belize.  Academic Press, London. pp 193-195. All data georeferenced
   and Imported on 09/17/00.