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Share your observations of plants or non-game animals with the Natural Heritage Inventory.
Help care for rare plants and animals by ordering an Endangered Resources plate.
- Contact information
- For information on Wisconsin's rare animals, contact:
- Rich Staffen
Conservation Biologist
608-266-4340
Western Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis proximus)
Photo © A.B. Sheldon
Overview
Overview
Western ribbonsnakes (Thamnophis proximus), a State Endangered Species, are found along rivers as wells as within and adjacent to wetlands. Nothing has been reported regarding overwintering for this species in Wisconsin, but they are known to communally den with other snakes. They can be active from mid-March through mid-November, breeding primarily in May, and giving birth to live young from late July through August. See the species guidance document for avoidance measures and management guidance from the Natural Heritage Conservation Program.
State status
Status and Natural Heritage Inventory documented occurrences in Wisconsin
The table below provides information about the protected status - both state and federal - and the rank (S and G Ranks) for Western Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis proximus). See the Working List Key for more information about abbreviations. Counties shaded blue have documented occurrences for this species in the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory database. The map is provided as a general reference of where occurrences of this species meet NHI data standards and is not meant as a comprehensive map of all observations.
Note: Species recently added to the NHI Working List may temporarily have blank occurrence maps.
| Summary Information | |
|---|---|
| State Status | END |
| Federal Status in Wisconsin | none |
| State Rank | S1 |
| Global Rank | G5 |
| Tracked by NHI | Y |
| WWAP | SGCN |
Species guidance
Western Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis proximus) has very few known occurrences in the state and is of the highest priority for conservation; we encourage you to consult with your District Ecologist or an NHI Zoologist for specific recommendations for your site.
This document contains identification and life history information for Western Ribbonsnake. It also describes how to screen projects for potential impact to this species, lists avoidance measures, and provides general management guidance.
Western_Ribbonsnake Species Guidance [PDF]
Other resources
Links to additional Western Ribbonsnake information
Other links related to reptiles
Photos/Video
Photos
Click to view a larger version. Please considering donating a photo to the Natural Heritage Conservation Program for educational uses. Photo use
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Photo © A.B. Sheldon.
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Photo © A.B. Sheldon.
Wildlife Action Plan
Natural community (habitat) associations
The table below lists the natural communities that are associated with Western Ribbonsnake. Only natural communities for which Western Ribbonsnake is "high" (score=3) or "moderate" (score=2) associated are shown. See the key to association scores for complete definitions. Please see the Wildlife Action Plan to learn how this information was developed.
| Natural community | Score |
|---|---|
| Bedrock Glade | 3 |
| Moist Sandy Meadow | 3 |
| Shrub Carr | 3 |
| Southern Sedge Meadow | 3 |
| Emergent Marsh | 2 |
| Mesic Prairie | 2 |
| Oak Barrens | 2 |
| Wet-mesic Prairie | 2 |
Ecological landscape associations
The table below lists the ecological landscape association scores for Western Ribbonsnake. The scores correspond to the map (3=High, 2=Moderate, 1=Low, 0=None). For more information, please see the Wildlife Action Plan.
| Ecological landscape | score |
|---|---|
| Central Sand Hills | 1 |
| Central Sand Plains | 1 |
| Southeast Glacial Plains | 1 |
| Western Coulee and Ridges | 1 |
Landscape-Community combinations of highest ecological priority*
Ecological priorities are the combinations of natural communities and ecological landscapes that provide Wisconsin's best opportunities to conserve important habitats for a given Species of Greatest Conservation Need. The 10 highest scoring combinations are considered ecological priorities and are listed below. More than 10 combinations are listed if multiple combinations tied for 10th place. For more information, please see the Wildlife Action Plan.
* Ecological priority score is a relative measure that is not meant for comparison between species. This score does not consider socio-economical factors that may dictate protection and/or management priorities differently than those determined solely by ecological analysis. Further, a low ecological priority score does not imply that management or preservation should not occur on a site if there are important reasons for doing so locally.
Issues/threats and conservation actions
Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the WWAP because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.
