The specimen from Sayaxche was found at the edge of a clearing in the
forest; that from 15 kilometers northwest of Chinaja was found on the
forest floor coiled with a _Boa constrictor imperator_, which the
_Drymarchon_ apparently was trying to eat. The _Drymarchon_ is a giant
specimen having a total length of 2950 mm. (see Duellman, 1961:368). The
_Boa_ with which it was coiled has a total length of 1683 mm. I was
attracted to the snakes by a loud thrashing noise. When I approached the
writhing mass, the snakes separated, but I was able to see that the
_Drymarchon_ had its teeth firmly imbedded in the posterior part of the
head of the _Boa_. From the _Drymarchon_ I forced the regurgitation of a
recently ingested _Bothrops nummifer nummifer_ having a total length of
953 mm. These observations show that the snake-eating capabilities of
_Drymarchon_ can hardly be over-estimated.
In both _Drymarchon_ the anterior one-half of the body is olive-tan,
which changes to bluish black posteriorly. The local name is
_sumbadora_.
=Drymobius margaritiferus margaritiferus= (Schlegel)
Chinaja, 3; Sayaxche, 1.
All individuals were obtained in clearings in the forest by day in the
rainy season. Two individuals each contained a _Similisca baudini_ and
another contained a _Bufo valliceps valliceps_. Locally this snake is
known by the appropriate name of _ranera_.
=Imantodes cenchoa leucomelas= Cope
Chinaja, 4.
With the exception of one that was found dead in camp, all individuals
were taken from low vegetation by day. The dorsum is creamy tan with 28
to 35 (average 32) chocolate brown blotches, and the venter is ashy
white with small brown flecks. Three males have 238 to 248 (average 244)
ventrals and 148 to 154 (average 151) caudals; one female has 239
ventrals and 142 caudals. The largest specimen, a male, has a body
length of 660 mm. and a total length of 943 mm.
=Lampropeltis doliata polyzona= Cope
Chinaja, 1.
One female (KU 57156) having 230 ventrals and 54 caudals was found on
the forest floor by day. This individual has a black snout with a white
bar across the nasals and prefrontals, a white spot in the middle of the
frontal, and a white band across the temporals and parietals that is
bordered posteriorly by a black band. There are 28 white and 28 red
rings on the body. The tips of the red scales are darkened. The black
rings between the white and red rings are not so expanded as to
interrupt the white rings dorsally as in _L. doliata abnorma_ as
identified by Stuart (1948:70). Locally this snake, like all red, black,
and white or yellow banded snakes, is called _coral_ or _coralillo_.
=Leptodeira frenata malleisi= Dunn and Stuart
Toocog, 1.
This specimen, a male having 173 ventrals and 69 caudals, was found
beneath the bark on a log in the forest. In life the dorsum was pinkish
tan with 36 chocolate brown blotches on the body; the venter was rosy
pink.
=Leptodeira septentrionalis polysticta= Guenther
Chinaja, 3; Toocog, 11.
If numbers of specimens are indicative of abundance, this is the most
common snake in southern El Peten. All were found at night in the rainy
season. At a pond in the forest at Toocog these snakes were observed on
low vegetation, on the ground, and in the water. Evidently they
congregate at breeding choruses of frogs. One _Leptodeira_ contained a
_Smilisca baudini_ and another contained eggs of _Phyllomedusa
callidryas taylori_. The natives call this snake _nahuyaca_.
=Leptophis ahaetulla praestans= (Cope)