Genus · Colubridae
Tropidoclonion
The genus Tropidoclonion contains a single species. It is not considered dangerous to humans.
About lined snake
A small, secretive North American grassland snake whose pale belly stripes are its calling card.
Tropidoclonion is a genus in the family Colubridae, the largest snake family, and it holds a single recognized species, the Lined Snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum). It belongs to the group of small, ground-dwelling North American natricine snakes, the same broad branch that includes garter snakes and earth snakes. The Lined Snake is built like its relatives: short, slim, and rarely exceeding about 15 inches, with strongly keeled scales that give it a matte, ridged look. Its name comes from the lengthwise stripes running down a grayish to olive-brown body, paired with a distinctive belly marked by a double row of dark half-moon spots.
The genus is found only in the central United States, across a patchy range through the Great Plains and parts of the Midwest and south-central states. It favors open, grassy, and disturbed habitats: prairies, vacant lots, gardens, and the edges of suburban yards, where it spends most of its time hidden under rocks, boards, leaf litter, and other surface cover. It is secretive and largely nocturnal or active at dawn and dusk, so even in areas where it is common, it is seldom seen in the open. Earthworms are the core of its diet, supplemented by soft-bodied invertebrates, much like other small fossorial colubrids.
The Lined Snake is harmless to people. It is non-venomous, has no medically significant bite, and relies on hiding rather than defense; when handled it may musk or flatten its body but poses no danger. It also gives live birth to small litters rather than laying eggs, a trait it shares with garter snakes and other natricines. As with any wild animal, the right approach is to observe it without handling and leave it undisturbed; if anyone is ever bitten by a snake they cannot confidently identify, contact US Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or local emergency services.
Tropidoclonion belongs to the Colubridae family (Colubrids). The largest snake family, and the one most snakes you meet belong to. Typically round pupils, a head only slightly wider than the neck, and no heat-sensing facial pit or rattle. Scales may be smooth and glossy or keeled and matte depending on the species.
Danger: Almost all colubrids are harmless. A small number are rear-fanged with medically significant venom, the boomslang and the twig (vine) snakes of Africa being the dangerous exceptions. Most colubrids will flee or bluff rather than bite.
All species (1)
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