Title: Bulletin
Identifier: bulletin7477sout (find matches)
Year: 1971- (1970s)
Authors: Southern California Academy of Sciences
Subjects: Science; Natural history; Natural history
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : The Academy
Contributing Library: New York Botanical Garden, LuEsther T. Mertz Library
Digitizing Sponsor: The LuEsther T Mertz Library, the New York Botanical Garden

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
1976 VARIATION IN THE SNAKE TANTILLA SEMICINCTA 43
Text Appearing After Image:
Figure 1. Dorsal color pattern of BMNH 85.5.15.16 from "Colombia." fields extending from the lower half of the para- vertebral row to the upper half of the third scale row. The remainder of the dorsum and all of the venter is pale in color. The tail is not striped in either specimen, but rather is patterned with a series of irregular spots and/or narrow crossbands. The syntypes of Homalocranion lineatuin, which I have not seen, also exhibit this pattern (Fischer, 1883). The banded pattern (Fig. 2) is present in 13 specimens examined. It consists of dark transverse bands on a pale groundcolor. The number of dark bands on the body ranges from 12 to 26 (x = 19.4). They range from 5 to 12 scales in length (x = 7.8) and extend laterally to a point ranging from the second scale row to the lateral edge of the ventrals. The pale bands range from 1 to 6 scales in length (x=:2.2). Frequently, the pale bands are broken middorsally and stag- gered. The percentage of broken pale bands ranges from 0 to 57.7 (x = 37.5). The number of tail bands ranges from 3 to 13 (x = S.5). The intermediate pattern is characterized by a high number of short dark bands (38^7) that are most frequently divided middorsally (showing a tendency toward development of a pale mid- dorsal stripe) and tend to be joined tii one another laterally (showing a tendency toward development of a dark dorsolateral field). They also are narrow, extending to somewhere on the third scale row. Figure 2. Dorsal color pattern of (A) BMNH 1902.5.15.11 from the Magdalena Valley, Colombia and (B) USNM 107324 from near Caracas, Distrito Federal, Venezuela. This pattern is present in four specimens examined (ANSP 20831. BMNH 86.5.15.18. NMB 9154- 55). The pattern dimorphism in Taiuilla seinicincta bears a striking resemblance to that seen in the California Kingsnake (Lainpropeltis getiihts cali- forniae—see pattern illustrations in Blanchard, 1921). Head Paitcrn.—The head pattern (Fig. 3) con- sists of a dark head cap usually extending from the posterior half of the prefrontals to and includ- ing one-half to two-thirds of the parietals. Lat- erally the cap extends to the lip below the eye and at the junction of the ultimate and penultimate supralabials, thereby enclosing a postorbital pale spot. The pale nuchal band is either complete or divided (partially divided in one specimen). If complete, it extends from the middle, posterior third, or posterior quarter of the parietals to a point from two-thirds of the first middorsal scale to one and one-half middorsal scales posterior to the parietals. The nuchal band is complete in eight specimens and divided in 10 specimens. VENEZUELAN TANTILLA SEMICINCTA Rozc (1966) listed three specimens of Taniilln seinicincta from Venezuela, one liom Fstado

Note About Images