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Farancia erytrogramma seminola Neill, 1964

Southern Florida rainbow snake

 

 

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

 

 

Conservation Status

Extinct

Last record: 13 September 1952

 

This species was declared "officially extinct" on the 5th of October, 2011. However, another press release since then has condemned the US government's eagerness to declare the species extinction without adequate surveys, and in spite of several unconfirmed reports. The Centre for Snake Conservation was as of February 2014 looking for a generous donor to help fund a trip back to Fish Eating Creek.

 

Distribution

Fish Eating Creek, Florida, USA

 

Biology & Ecology

 

 

Hypodigm

Only three specimens of this subspecies were ever collected between 1949 and 1952; the holotype (now residing in the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida) and two paratypes, both of which seem to have been lost at some point.

 

Holotype: UF 19416

For photos of the holotype, see: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-guide/Faranciaeseminola.htm

 

Media

 

 

References

Original scientific description:

Neill, Wilfred T. (1964). Taxonomy, Natural History, and Zoogeography of the Rainbow Snake, Farancia erytrogramma (Palisot de Beauvois). American Midland Naturalist 71(2): 257-295. [Abstract]

 

Other references:

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/2011/11/30/extinct-snake-photo-worth-500/

http://extinctanimals.proboards.com/thread/10105/south-florida-rainbow-snake

 

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