Coniophanes
Coniophanes is a large genus of colubrid snakes, typically referred to as black-striped snakes, but they also have many other common names. The genus consists of 13 species, and despite the common name, not all of them display striping.
Geographic range
They are found primarily in Mexico and Central America, but range as far north as southern Texas in the United States, and as far south as Peru in South America.
Description
Snakes of the genus Coniophanes grow to a length of 31-46 cm (12-18 in) and are typically brown in color, with black striping down their sides and center of their backs, and red or orange undersides. Some of the species, such as C. alvarezi, are solid brown.
Behaviour
Coniophanes snakes are secretive burrowers. They spend most of their time digging into loose soils, forest leaf litter, or under rotting cactus. They are nocturnal, emerging from their underground retreats in the late evening to feed on frogs, lizards, small rodents, and smaller snakes.
Reproduction
Podcasts:
-
by Kenny Vance
Looking For An Echo
by: Kenny VanceAt Erasmus Hall High School, we used to harmonize
Me and Benny and Ira and two Italian guys
We were singing oldies, but they were newies then
And today when I play my old 45's, I remember when...
We'd practice in a subway, in a lobby or a hall
Crowded in a doorway, singing doo wops to the wall.
And if we went to a party and they wouldn't let us
sing,
We'd lock ourselves in the bathroom, and nobody could
get in.
'Cause we were looking for an echo, an answer to our
sound
A place to be in harmony
A place we almost found.
And the girls would gather 'round us, and our heads
would really swell.
We'd sing songs by the Moonglows, the Harptones, and
the Dells.
And when we sang "Sincerely," we really sang it high.
Even though it was falsetto, we almost reached the sky.
We've sung a lot of changes since 1955.
And a lot of bad arrangements we've tried to harmonize.
Now we've turned into oldies, but we were newies then.
And today when I play my old 45's, I remember when...
We were looking for an echo, an answer to our sound
A place to be in harmony