Amphibians and Reptiles of Minnesota

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Status

Listed as a species of Special Concern in Minnesota.

Description

This snake resembles a small, colorless garter snake. It is 8-10 inches long and is nonvenomous. There is little variation in this species so identification is easy. There is a light (almost always white; rarely yellow) mid dorsal stripe. There is also a light lateral stripe on each side of the snake. Ground color is gray or brown and there are some dark dots between the dorsal and lateral stripes. The belly is plain white with two rows of bold black half moons down the center. Sometimes there is a yellowish stripe over the moons, but they still retain their boldness. This characteristic is enough to distinguish it from all our other snakes. The scales are keeled and the anal plate is single.

Subspecies

No subspecies of Tropidoclonion lineatum are recognized any longer.

Range

In Minnesota this snake has been found only in the Blue Mounds State Park in Rock County. This park is mostly prairie with Sioux quartzite rock outcroppings. Although counties north and east have similar habitat, searches have failed to yield any additional populations of this secretive snake. It is listed as special concern, but it should be elevated to threatened or endangered due to the paucity of known populations in the state. If anyone finds a snake suspected of being a lined snake outside of Blue Mounds State Park retain or photograph (top and bottom) the specimen and contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or the MN DNR immediately!

Habitat

Lined snakes are found in prairies, grasslands, pastures, woodland edges, and even city parks, city lots, cemeteries, and backyards in states south and west of Minnesota.

Habits

Lined snakes are secretive snakes hiding beneath debris during the day. They often hunt at night above ground when earthworms are present and easily captured. This snake is inoffensive and if it were to bite, it could do no damage at all. It breeds in the fall; this is why most specimens are found (by far!) during this time in Minnesota and Iowa. In other states, they may also be quite common in the spring, however. The female gives birth to 5-10 young in autumn. They are three inches long at birth. They hibernate deep in the rocky outcroppings.

Food

Lined snakes' favorite food is earthworms, but slugs, snails, soft-bodied insects are also consumed.