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Ohio has five kinds of snake with stripes running down the length of their bodies. One of the important characters used in identifying these snakes is the specific row or rows of scales on each side on which the stripe occurs. This is determined by examining the snake closely and counting upward from the belly scales. The scale row must be entirely involved in the stripe for it to be counted.
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Belly with four brown stripes running along the length of the body. The central two stripes may be broken into spots. belly stripes <image courtesy of Ohio Historical Society>
Belly without four brown stripes as above. without belly stripes <image courtesy Dr. Martin J. Rosenberg>
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Date of last revision: 06/22/2001
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