California ribbon snake (SciiFii)

The California ribbon snake (Thamnophis saurita californianus), also known as the western ribbon snake, is a subspecies of ribbon snake that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Oregon, Washington, and southwestern Canada,to help boost biodiversity. The California ribbon snake averages 16 to 35 inches (41 to 89 centimeters) in total length (including tail). It is dark brown with bright yellow stripes. The California ribbon snake is not sexually dimorphic; however, females are normally thicker than their male counterparts. The California ribbon snake is active from April to October and hibernates during the winter months. In order to hunt, ribbon snakes use a few of their senses including auditory and visual perception. California ribbon snakes do not eat warm-blooded prey, just as many garter snakes, also of the genus Thamnophis, do not. Using their auditory and visual traits, they are able to prey upon newts, salamanders, frogs, toads, tadpoles, small fish, spiders, and earthworms. Meanwhile, they fall prey to mammals, birds, and larger amphibians and reptiles. California ribbon snakes rarely use any aggressive form of defense. Instead, they use their brown bodies to camouflage with the surrounding vegetation. Along with this, they flee and hide in dense patches of grass in which they will coil up and get as low to the ground as possible. Given that snakes consume their prey whole, small individuals are particularly constrained in the size and shape of prey that can be consumed. These smaller snakes compensate for their smaller body size by having larger heads. Beginning in the spring, after hibernation, California ribbon snakes begin to look for another snake with which to mate. California ribbon snakes are ovoviviparous snakes, meaning they give birth to live young. The live young tend to be born in the summer, in litters of 7 to 32 snakes. California ribbon snakes tend to mature after 2 to 3 years, which is when they will be able to start breeding. California ribbon snakes tend to breed once or twice each year after they mature. The conservation status of the California ribbon snake is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the California ribbon snake's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.