The glossy crayfish snake (Regina rigida rigida) is a nonvenomous shiny, dark aquatic snake, usually measuring 14-24 inches (36-61 cm). Its color can be described as brown to olive-brown. The species feeds almost entirely on crayfish.

A close relative of the glossy crayfish snake is the Gulf crayfish snake

Gulf crayfish snake

The Gulf crayfish snake is a nonvenomous snake averaging 20 inches when fully grown, with a record of 31.5 inches . Its color is best described as chocolate brown...

 (Regina rigida sinicola).

Location

The glossy crayfish snake is found in the Coastal Plain

Coastal plain

A coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. One of the world's longest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The southwestern coastal plain of North America is notable for its species diversity...

 of the southeastern United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 from eastern North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 to eastern Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 but is absent from the southern portion of peninsular Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

.

External links

• http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/regrig.htm
• http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/herpetology/fl-guide/Reginarrigida.htm
• http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/?s=030035