Both specimens were obtained from trees when they were felled. One
individual (KU 55716) has a body length of 1345 mm. and a total length
of 2035 mm. In life the entire snake was uniform bright green; the eye
was yellow. In preservative the dorsum is dark blue, and the venter is
green.
=Leptophis mexicanus mexicanus= Dumeril, Bibron and Dumeril
Chinaja, 1; 15 km. NW of Chinaja, 1; Sayaxche, 4.
All specimens came from low trees in the forest. The largest specimen is
a male having a body length of 724 mm. and a total length of 1236 mm. In
life the middorsum was a golden tan; the top of the head was a vivid
green. One individual had ingested a _Smilisca baudini_. The local name
is _bejuquillo_.
=Ninia sebae sebae= (Dumeril, Bibron and Dumeril)
Toocog, 1.
This specimen, a male having 144 ventrals and 55 caudals, was found
beneath bark on a log in the forest. There is a black band five scales
in length on the nape followed posteriorly by a red band six scales in
length and then by a complete black band one and one-half scales in
length. The rest of the body is dull red with 16 incomplete black bands
one to one and one-half scales in length on the anterior two-thirds of
the body.
=Oxybelis aeneus aeneus= (Wagler)
Chinaja, 1; 20 km. NNW of Chinaja, 1.
One individual was found in a low tree; the other was in a bush. Both
specimens are males; the largest has a body length of 754 mm. and a
total length of 1286 mm. Bogert and Oliver (1945:388) distinguished _O.
aeneus aeneus_ in Central and South America from _O. aeneus auratus_ in
Mexico in that the diameter of the eye is more than the length of the
internasal, whereas in _O. aeneus auratus_ the diameter of the eye is
less than the length of the internasal. Stuart (1958:27) stated that on
the basis of this character three specimens from Tikal in northeastern
El Peten definitely were _O. aeneus aeneus_. Of the present specimens
from southern El Peten, one has an internasal:eye ratio of 1.08; the
other has a ratio of 0.87. A careful review of these snakes is needed to
verify the validity of the characters used to separate the subspecies
and to determine areas of intergradation. The local name for the
vine-snake is _bejuquillo_.
=Pliocercus euryzonus aequalis= Salvin
Chinaja, 1; Rio San Roman, 1.
These specimens are tentatively referred to _P. euryzonus_. KU 57160 is
a female having 130 ventrals, 87 caudals, and 23 black rings on the
body; KU 58150 is a juvenile having 128 ventrals, 79 caudals, and 27
black rings on the body. In both specimens the tip of the snout is
yellow; a broad yellow band on the parietals and temporals is bordered
posteriorly by a black band on the nape. The black rings on the body are
not bordered by yellow, but black rings on the tail have yellow borders
ventrally. In the red interspaces between the black rings, black flecks
and spots, especially posteriorly, tend to form secondary black rings
(Fig. 6a). According to Stuart (1948:71), _P. euryzonus aequalis_ has 25
to 27 black rings on the body, whereas _P. elapoides salvini_, which
also occurs in El Peten, has 15 to 23 black rings.
[Illustration: FIG. 6. Dorsal color patterns of _Pliocercus euryzonus
aequalis_ (A) and _Micrurus affinis apiatus_ (B).]
The specimen from the Rio San Roman contained a partly digested
_Bolitoglossa moreleti mulleri_. Locally _Piocercus_ is called _coral_
or _coralillo_.
=Pseustes poecilonotus poecilonotus= (Guenther)
Chinaja, 3; 20 km. NNW of Chinaja, 1.
Two juveniles were on the forest floor; one juvenile and an adult were
on low bushes. The juveniles have a tan dorsum with reddish brown
blotches; the belly is gray, and the iris is cream-color above and brown
below. The one adult is olive-brown above and creamy white below on the
anterior three-fourths of the body; posteriorly it is black above and
below. There are no paravertebral dark stripes nor pale spots on the
dorsal scales.
Two specimens (one juvenile and the adult) when encountered compressed
the anterior part of the body laterally and struck repeatedly. Locally
the adults are called _sumbadora_.
=Sibon dimidiata dimidiata= (Guenther)