black-striped snake
• noun
North American A small, mildly venomous rear-fanged colubrid snake native to southern Texas and Mexico, characterized by distinct black longitudinal stripes running down a light brown back.
"During our biological survey in the Rio Grande Valley, the team documented a juvenile black-striped snake retreating into the dense leaf litter."
Any of various snake species globally that possess prominent black stripes as their primary identifying physical characteristic.
"The field guide cautioned novice hikers to carefully identify any black-striped snake before approaching, as patterns can be remarkably similar across completely different genera."
Word Nuance & Usage
While it functions as a literal description of any snake with black stripes, in North American herpetology it specifically serves as the common name for Coniophanes imperialis, a rear-fanged snake native to Texas and Mexico.
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Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.