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Posted by DeanAlessandrini on February 17, 2003 at 08:22:35:
In Reply to: Could this be D.c. orizabensis? (PIC) posted by chrish on February 17, 2003 at 02:00:43:
:From Smith, Nov. 15 1941, Journal of the WA Academy of Sciences, subspecies of the indigo snake
Type locality: Orizaba, Veracruz
Diagnosis- Adults entirely black above; most of sides of head black;anterior portion of bell heavily pigmented, less than half anterior third light; remainder of ventral surface black; light areas on belly white or cream, not pink; ventral 186 to 201, caudels 71 to 78. Antepepenultimlate labial in contact with temporal or postocula or both (rarely not);scale rows rarely reduced to 14 in front of anus.
RANGE: Atlantic slopes from near Isthmus of Tehuantepec about to Mirador, Veracruz. Perhaps restricted to the foothills.
SPECIEMENS EXAMINED: Five typical specimens were examined: the type, in the museum at Guanajuato, Mexico: USNM no. 110886 and EHT-HMS nos 5368, 5592-3 all from Portrero Viejo, Veracrua, and USNM no. 24999, Mirador, Veracruz.
REMARKS: the type is a juvenile; its association with the very black adults from the same area is prompted for geographic reasons. The form is most nearly like rubidus, from which it differs from which in having the belly almost entirely black (much as in couperi), and the light ventral areas not red but white or cream.
It’s similarity to rubidus does not necessarily mean that it is more closely related to that form than to any other. There is evidence that the two are of independent origin.
Evidence of integration between melanocercus (today melanurus?) and orizabensis is demonstrated by four speciemens bearing the locality data Mirador, Veracruz (nos. 25000-3). Two of these are adults; they have the head and the anterior half of the body peculiarly mottled with jet black on a brown ground color; the posterior third of the dorsum is entirely jet black, the tail black above and below; most of the labials are black-edged. This condition is most certainly and integration between melanocerous (melanurus) and orizabensis.
…The article goes on to explain that, at least in 1941, all postivley ID’d specimens were from southern Veracruz.
I AM FORWARDING THIS ARTICLE DO DOUG TAYLOR
Dean Alessandrini
