Farancia is a genus of colubrid snakes. It consists of two species, one commonly referred to as the rainbow snake (F. erytrogramma) and the other commonly referred to as the mud snake (F. abacura). Both species are native to the southeastern United States. Description Adult specimens of Farancia species are usually to 36-54 inches (92–137 cm) in total length (including tail). They are usually dark brown or black dorsally, with a brightly colored underside that is red or orange. Rainbow snakes exhibit red striping down their backs. The body of Farancia species is cylindrical, robust, and muscular. The smooth, shiny, and iridescent dorsal scales are arranged in 19 rows at midbody. The tail is short, ending in a spine. Behaviour Snakes of the genus Farancia are semiaquatic, living in the muddy edges of slow moving, permanent water sources. Diet The diet of Farancia species consists primarily of amphiumas, eels, and sirens. Reproduction In Farancia breeding occurs in early spring, and eggs are laid in a burrow near the water in early summer. The clutch incubates between 8–12 weeks, and hatches in mid-autumn. Species and subspecies Farancia abacura – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Farancia abacura abacura – eastern mud snake Farancia abacura reinwardtii – western mud snake Farancia erytrogramma – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Farancia erytrogramma erytrogramma – rainbow snake Farancia erytrogramma seminola – Florida rainbow snake References Further reading Goin CJ, Goin OB, Zug GR (1978). Introduction to Herpetology, Third Edition. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company. xi + 378 pp. . (Genus Farancia, p. 323). Gray JE (1842). "Monographic Synopsis of the Water Snakes, or the Family H". Zoological Miscellany [2]: 59–68. (Farancia, new genus, p. 68). External links Herps of Texas: Farancia abacura Colubrids Snake genera Taxa named by John Edward Gray Reptiles described in 1842 Reptiles of the United States