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Posted by Dennis on October 25, 2000 at 19:08:38:
The key to the tropical subspecies of Drymarchon from Neotropical Catalogue of Reptiles, Squamata (Peters and Orejas-Miranda 1970):
1. Dorsal pattern uniformly black-------------------2
Dorsum with some pattern, not uniformly black----3
2. Tail and venter not reddish----------------------corais
Tail and venter reddish--------------------------rubidus
3. Dorsal pattern light brown at least anteriorly---4
Dorsal pattern black with irregular grey transverse bands,
dim or indistinct anteriorly, more prominent posteriorly
and on tail--------------------------------------margaritae
4. Dorsal pattern uniform light brownish------------unicolor
Dorsal pattern in dark brown more intensive on posterior
third of body and entire tail--------------------melanurus
This key does not include couperi, erebennus or orizabensis whose range falls outside of the true tropics. There may be head scalation differences between melanurus and unicolor but I don't know? I also don't know if these two species overlap naturally in Nicaragua or if they do, if they interbreed and hybridize or remain distinct? It would be interesting to know if these two species overlap and remain distinct, if there are habitat, elevation or prey preference differences that prevent them from hybridizing.
Range of melanurus:
Pacific slopes of Colombia and Ecuador, Northern Venezuela, Central America to Veracruz, Mexico on Atlantic Slope and to Nicaragua on Pacific Slope.
Range of unicolor:
Low and moderate elevations from Chiapas, Mexico along Pacific coast into Nicaragua.
