This small, distinctive species of the _sexlineatus_-group o_The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacán, México

_Cnemidophorus_ was discovered in the Tepalcatepec Valley in 1955

(Duellman, 1955); subsequent field studies showed it to be widespread in

the valley (Duellman, 1960c). One specimen (KU 29747) is from the

relatively arid, low Pacific slope of the Sierra de Coalcoman, 25

kilometers south of Arteaga. All other specimens have been taken at

elevations of 200 to 650 meters in the Tepalcatepec Valley, where the

species characteristically inhabits the open scrub forests of the valley

floor, especially the _Cercidium-Prosopis-Apoplanesia_ associations,

where there is a sparse growth of grasses. In this habitat it is most

frequently seen in association with _Cnemidophorus costatus zweifeli_

and _C. deppei infernalis_.

Aside from the characters given in Table 5, _Cnemidophorus calidipes_

differs from other species of _Cnemidophorus_ in Michoacan by possessing

a complete (or nearly so) supraorbital semicircle-series of granules; in

other species the granules seldom extend anteriorly beyond the posterior

border of the frontal.

~Cnemidophorus communis communis~ Cope

_Cnemidophorus communis_ Cope, Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc.,

17:95, 1877.--No type locality given; type locality

restricted to Colima, Colima, Mexico, by Zweifel (1959a:74).

_Cnemidophorus communis communis_, Zweifel, Bull. Amer. Mus.

Nat. Hist., 117:74, April 27, 1959.

Aguililla (2); Apatzingan (6); 13 km. S of Arteaga (2); 19

km. S of Arteaga (3); Capirio (3); Coahuayana (3); Coalcoman

(44); El Ticuiz; between El Ticuiz and Ojos de Agua de San

Telmo; La Placita (6); Pomaro (2); Rio Cachan; Salitre de

Estopila; San Juan de Lima.

The specimens from Coalcoman and the coastal localities were referred to

_Cnemidophorus sacki copei_ by Peters (1954:18) and Duellman (1954b:12).

Zweifel (1959a) referred these specimens to _Cnemidophorus communis

communis_ and pointed out the probable sympatry of _C. communis_ and _C.

costatus_ (= _sacki_ of Zweifel) in the Tepalcatepec Valley.

There is considerable geographic variation in the number of dorsal

granules around the midbody. Sixteen specimens from the coastal regions

of Michoacan have 129-146 (136.3) granules; nine from the Tepalcatepec

Valley have 124-137 (128.3), and 44 from Coalcoman at an elevation of

950 meters in the Sierra de Coalcoman, intermediate geographically

between the coast and the Tepalcatepec Valley, have 105-144 (119.7). The

number of granules in specimens from the coast of Michoacan compares

favorably with the range of 118-154 (137.8) for 34 specimens from

Colima, Colima (Zweifel, 1959a:107). Aside from the characters given in

Table 5, _C. communis communis_ can be distinguished from other members

of the _Cnemidophorus sexlineatus_-group (_calidipes_, _costatus_, and

_scarlaris_) by its relatively small post-antebrachial scales.

TABLE 5.--COMPARISON OF THE TEN SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF CNEMIDOPHORUS

IN MICHOACAN (SCALE COUNTS ARE FOR SPECIMENS FROM MICHOACAN ONLY)

----------------+--------+-------+------------------+-----------+----------

----------------+--------+-------+------------------+-----------+----------

_calidipes_ | 66-86 |31-47 |Light brown dorsum| Pink | 79 mm.

| (75) |(39) |with vertical blue| |

----------------+--------+-------+------------------+-----------+----------

_communis |105-146 | 38-52 |Green dorsum with | Pink | 135 mm.

communis_ |(124) | (44) |six rows of yellow| |

----------------+--------+-------+------------------+-----------+----------

_costatus | 97-102 |37-43 |Cross-bars | Pink | 126 mm.

occidentalis_ | (99) |(39) |anteriorly and | |

----------------+--------+-------+------------------+-----------+----------

_costatus |91-117 |32-49 |Lateral and |Pink with | 132 mm.

----------------+--------+-------+------------------+-----------+----------

_deppei deppei_ |116-117 |37-38 |Green | Black | 93 mm.

|(116) |(37) |paravertebral and | |

----------------+--------+-------+------------------+-----------+----------

_deppei |91-120 |31-43 |Green | Black | 84 mm.

infernalis_ |(101) |(36) |paravertebral and | |

----------------+--------+-------+------------------+-----------+----------

_lineatissimus |108-140 |32-47 |Paravertebral |Pink and | 98 mm.

----------------+--------+-------+------------------+-----------+----------

_lineatissimus |117-126 |32-37 |Eight distinct |Bluish-pink| 96 mm.

----------------+--------+-------+------------------+-----------+----------

_lineatissimus |126-164 |32-48 |Broad middorsal |Pink and | 106 mm.

----------------+--------+-------+------------------+-----------+----------

_scalaris_ | 80-92 |32-41 |Six distinct cream|Orange-pink| 95 mm.

| (86) |(35) |stripes; tan spots| |

----------------+--------+-------+------------------+-----------+----------

Although this is the largest species of _Cnemidophorus_ in Michoacan

(adult males attain a snout-vent length of 135 mm.), it is neither

widespread nor abundant. On the coastal lowlands it occurs primarily

with _Cnemidophorus lineatissimus lividus_. In the coastal lowlands

there is little open scrub forest, a type of habitat that seems to be

preferred by _C. communis communis_. In the Tepalcatepec Valley, _C.

communis communis_ occurs in the open scrub forest with the more

abundant large species _C. costatus_ (subspecies _zweifeli_). Only in

the scrub forest in the Coalcoman Valley, where no other species of

_Cnemidophorus_ occurs, is _C. communis communis_ abundant.

~Cnemidophorus costatus occidentalis~ Gadow

_Cnemidophorus communis occidentalis_ Gadow, Proc. Zool.

Soc. London, 1906, 1:339, August 23, 1906.--Type locality

restricted to Ixtlan, Nayarit, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor

(1950b:182).

_Cnemidophorus costatus occidentalis_, Zweifel, Copeia, No.

1:98; March 17, 1961.

Jiquilpan (4).

Only four specimens from the extreme northwestern part of the state are

referable to this subspecies. These have 97 to 102 dorsal granules at

midbody and lack the blue gular band or spot characteristic of the

subspecies in the Tepalcatepec Valley. Probably _C. costatus

occidentalis_ ranges throughout the Chapala depression, but to the east

it is replaced by _Cnemidophorus scalaris scalaris_.

~Cnemidophorus costatus zweifeli~ Duellman

_Cnemidophorus sacki zweifeli_ Duellman, Univ. Kansas Publ.

Mus. Nat. Hist., 10:589, May 2, 1960.--Capirio, Michoacan,

Mexico.

Apatzingan (107); Buenavista (3); Capirio (31); Charapendo

(12); Chinapa (2); 19 km. S of Corralito (3); Jazmin (2);

between La Playa and Volcan Jorullo (2); Limoncito (3); 14

km. S of Lombardia (11); Nueva Italia (15); Rio Marquez, 10

km. S of Lombardia (2); Rio Marquez, 13 km. SE of Nueva

Italia; Tafetan (18); 14 km. E of Tepalcatepec (2); Tzitzio

(11); 19 km. S of Tzitzio; Volcan Jorullo (5);

Ziracuaretiro; Zirimicuaro.

These lizards were referred to _Cnemidophorus sacki copei_ by Duellman

(1954b:12 and 1955:6); Duellman (1960a) described the subspecies

_zweifeli_ and assigned it to _Cnemidophorus sacki_. Zweifel (1961:98)

used the specific name C. _costatus_ for the whiptails on the

southwestern part of the Mexican Plateau (_C. c. occidentalis_). Since

_occidentalis_ and _zweifeli_ are conspecific, the combination _C.

costatus zweifeli_ is used here for the population inhabiting the

Tepalcatepec Valley.

This lizard is abundant in the Tepalcatepec Valley, where it lives in

open and dense scrub forest, usually at elevations of less than 1000

meters. Throughout the valley it is found in association with

_Cnemidophorus deppei infernalis_, and in the lower parts of the valley

it also is associated with _Cnemidophorus calidipes_. Observations made

in the dry season indicate that large adults are not active at that

time.

On the coastal lowlands and in the valleys in the Sierra de Coalcoman

_Cnemidophorus costatus zweifeli_ is replaced by _C. communis communis_.

To the east in the Balsas Basin _C. costatus zweifeli_ intergrades with

_C. costatus costatus_.

~Cnemidophorus deppei deppei~ Wiegmann

_Cnemidophorus deppei_ Wiegmann, Herpetologia Mexicana, p.

29, 1834.--Mexico. Type locality restricted to Tehuantepec,

Oaxaca, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor (1950b:179).

_Cnemidophorus deppei deppei_, Cope, Trans. Amer. Philos.

Soc., 17:31, 1892.

Salitre de Estopila; San Pedro Naranjestila.

This small species, which is extremely abundant on the coastal lowlands

of Guerrero, seems to be rare on the coast of Michoacan, where it has

been taken at elevations of 130 and 500 meters in open situations in

otherwise forested areas. Duellman and Wellman (1960:25) discussed these

specimens in relation to their subspecific assignment. They were

referred to _Cnemidophorus deppei lineatissimus_ by Peters (1954:18).

~Cnemidophorus deppei infernalis~ Duellman and Wellman

_Cnemidophorus deppei infernalis_ Duellman and Wellman,

Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan, 111:32, February 10,

1960.--Mexcala, Guerrero, Mexico.

Acahuato; Apatzingan (227); Capirio (3); El Sabino; Jazmin;

La Playa (6); Lombardia (6); Nueva Italia (4); Rio Marquez,

10 km. S of Lombardia (6); Rio Marquez, 13 km. SE of Nueva

Italia (10); south of Tancitaro; Volcan Jorullo (3).

This is one of the most abundant and widespread lizards in the

Tepalcatepec Valley. Throughout its range it is ecologically associated

with _Cnemidophorus costatus zweifeli_, which ranges to elevations

somewhat higher than the 1050 meters known for _C. deppei infernalis_.

This small lizard reaches its greatest abundance in grassy areas on the

floor of the Tepalcatepec Valley, where in the

_Cercidium-Prosopis-Apoplanesia_ associations it occurs with

_Cnemidophorus calidipes_.

Duellman and Wellman (1960) discussed the variation and relationships of

_Cnemidophorus deppei_, of which the subspecies _infernalis_ is

restricted to the Balsas-Tepalcatepec Basin.

~Cnemidophorus lineatissimus exoristus~ Duellman and Wellman

_Cnemidophorus lineatissimus exoristus_ Duellman and

Wellman, Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan, 111:44,

February 10, 1960.--Rancho Santa Ana, four kilometers

northeast of San Salvador, Michoacan, Mexico.

Thirteen to 25 km. S of Arteaga (18); Capirio (19);

Limoncito (13); Santa Ana (22).

As in _Cnemidophorus calidipes_, the distribution of this subspecies

seems to be restricted to the Tepalcatepec Valley, except in the

vicinity of Arteaga, where it occurs on the southern slope of the Sierra

de Coalcoman. As pointed out by Duellman and Wellman (1960:46), the

specimens from south of Arteaga are like those from the Tepalcatepec

Valley in scutellation and coloration, and not like _Cnemidophorus

lineatissimus lividus_ from the geographically closer coastal lowlands.

In the Tepalcatepec Valley _Cnemidophorus lineatissimus exoristus_

inhabits gallery forests along the larger streams; in this habitat it is

associated with _Ameiva undulata sinistra_. From the other species of

_Cnemidophorus_ in Michoacan, _C. lineatissimus exoristus_ can be

distinguished by the possession of seven longitudinal stripes in adults

and by the characters of scutellation given in Table 5.

~Cnemidophorus lineatissimus lineatissimus~ Cope

_Cnemidophorus lineatissimus_ Cope, Proc. Amer. Philos.

Soc., 17:94, 1877.--Colima and Guadalajara. Type locality

restricted to Colima, Colima, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor

(1950b:179).

_Cnemidophorus lineatissimus lineatissimus_, Duellman and

Wellman, Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan, 111:41,

February 10, 1960.

Boca de Apiza (4).

These specimens have 117 to 126 dorsal granules at midbody, a noticeably

lower count than that for _Cnemidophorus lineatissimus lividus_ on the

coast of Michoacan, which has 126 to 164 (148). Apparently these

specimens represent immature _C. lineatissimus lineatissimus_; the

differences between these and _C. lineatissimus lividus_ from nearby

localities indicate that possibly the populations are distinct species

and not subspecies, as suggested by Duellman and Wellman (1960:41).

~Cnemidophorus lineatissimus lividus~ Duellman and Wellman

_Cnemidophorus lineatissimus lividus_ Duellman and Wellman,

Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan, 111:50, February 10,

1960.--Maruata, Michoacan, Mexico.

Barranca de Bejuco (4); Boca de Apiza (2); Coahuayana (6);

El Ticuiz (7); La Placita (11); Maruata (7); Motin del Oro;

Ostula (5); Playa Azul (4); Playa Cuilala (2); Pomaro (2);

Salitre de Estopila (2); San Pedro Naranjestila.

This is the most abundant and widespread species of _Cnemidophorus_ on

the coastal lowlands of Michoacan, where it ranges from sea level to

elevations of about 500 meters. In this area it inhabits dense arid

scrub forest and semi-deciduous broad-leafed forest. Both of these

habitats are continuous, or nearly so, along the lowlands and foothills

of the Sierra de Coalcoman. This in itself may explain the abundance of

_Cnemidophorus lineatissimus_ and the relative scarcity of _C. deppei_

and _C. communis_ in the coastal area, for _C. deppei_ and _C. communis_

usually inhabit more open arid scrub forest, as occurs in the

Tepalcatepec Valley. Living in the dense scrub forest with _C.

lineatissimus_ is _Ameiva undulata sinistra_.

~Cnemidophorus scalaris~ Cope

_Cnemidophorus gularis scalaris_ Cope, Trans. Amer. Philos.

Soc., 17:47, 1892.--Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico.

_Cnemidophorus scalaris_, Zweifel, Bull. American Mus. Nat.

Hist., 117:72, 1959.

Araro (2); Jacona; Lago de Cuitzeo (42); Morelia; 21 km. N

of Morelia (4).

Zweifel (1959a:72) assigned the small species of _Cnemidophorus_ having

a relatively low number of dorsal granules and inhabiting the southern

part of the Mexican Plateau to _C. scalaris_, which he diagnosed as

rarely exceeding 100 mm. in snout-vent length and always having an

average of less than 100 dorsal granules at midbody and usually less

than 90. Forty-two specimens from the south shore of Lago de Cuitzeo

(UMMZ 119558) have 80-91 (85.8) dorsal granules. Four specimens from 21

kilometers north of Norelia (UIMNH 6952 and UMMZ 104743) have 89, 78,

92, and 84 granules; one from Morelia (UMMZ 104742) has 78; two from

Araro (UMMZ 119522) have 80 and 87; one from Jacona (UIMNH 24703) has

88.

Since no large adult males are present in the series from Michoacan, an

adequate comparison of coloration between these and populations on the

northern part of the Mexican Plateau cannot be made. _Cnemidophorus

scalaris_ is a name applied to the lizards inhabiting the Mexican

Plateau from Chihuahua south to Puebla by Zweifel (1959a:72). It is

doubtful if all of the populations assigned to this subspecies belong

there; possibly more than one species is involved, but the paucity of

material prevents further analysis at this time.

~Heloderma horridum horridum~ (Wiegmann)

_Trachyderma horridum_ Wiegmann, Isis von Oken, 22:421,

1829.--Mexico. Type locality restricted to Huajintlan,

Guerrero, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor (1950b:193).

_Heloderma horridum horridum_, Bogert and Martin del Campo,

Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 109:20, April 16, 1956.

Apatzingan; Coalcoman; La Placita; Oropeo; Paracuaro.

This species is known from elevations of less than 1000 meters in the

Tepalcatepec Valley, the Sierra de Coalcoman, and the coastal lowlands.

Specimens from Coalcoman, La Placita, and Paracuaro came from areas of

dense woods; those from Apatzingan and Oropeo might have come from

patches of dense woods in the otherwise open scrub forest of the

Tepalcatepec Valley.

~Gerrhonotus imbricatus imbricatus~ Wiegmann

_Gerrhonotus imbricatus_ Wiegmann, Isis von Oken, 21:379,

1828.--Mexico. Type locality restricted to Mexico, Distrito

Federal, by Smith and Taylor (1950b:201).

_Gerrhonotus imbricatus imbricatus_, Dunn, Proc. Acad. Nat.

Sci. Philadelphia, 88:475, October 20, 1936.

Acuaro de las Lleguas (9); Cerro Barolosa (4); Cerro

Tancitaro (36); Dos Aguas (22); Paracho; Sierra Patamba;

Tinguidin; Zacapu.

Specimens from the Sierra de Coalcoman are noticeably different from

those inhabiting the mountains rising from the Mexican Plateau. Of 45

specimens from Cerro Tancitaro and adjacent areas on the Mexican Plateau

and in the Cordillera Volcanica, 15 have twelve longitudinal rows of

dorsal scales and 30 have fourteen rows. Of seven specimens from the

state of Mexico, 5 have twelve rows and 2 have fourteen; of nine

specimens from central Veracruz, 8 have twelve rows and one has

fourteen; of six specimens from Hidalgo, 5 have twelve rows and one has

sixteen; of two specimens from Guanajuata, one has fourteen and the

other has sixteen rows. All of the 35 specimens from the Sierra de

Coalcoman have sixteen rows. Furthermore, these specimens have the

superciliary row extended anteriorly, so that the anterior superciliary

is in broad contact with the loreal. Specimens from Cerro Tancitaro have

a shorter superciliary row, so that the anterior superciliary is not in

broad contact with the loreal. These characters were used by Tihen

(1949:220) to distinguish _Gerrhonotus imbricatus ciliaris_ from _G.

imbricatus imbricatus_. According to Tihen, the subspecies _G.

imbricatus ciliaris_ ranges from Guanajuato and Hidalgo northward to

Chihuahua and Coahuila, whereas the nominal subspecies occurs from

Michoacan and Hidalgo southward to Oaxaca. Specimens from the Sierra de

Autlan in Jalisco are like those from Cerro Tancitaro; consequently,

there seems to be no connection between the populations of _G.

imbricatus ciliaris_ in the mountains of the northern part of the

Mexican Plateau with the _ciliaris_-like individuals found in the Sierra

de Coalcoman. The acquisition and study of additional material from

throughout the range of the species is necessary to clarify the picture

of geographic variation. Until then, I prefer to consider all of the

specimens from Michoacan as _Gerrhonotus imbricatus imbricatus_.

The largest specimen is a male having a snout-vent length of 136 mm. Two

juveniles collected in July 24, 1960, have snout-vent lengths of 36 and

42 mm. A specimen having a snout-vent length of 127 mm. and a tail

length of 145 mm. was regurgitated by a _Crotalus pusillus_, which had a

body length of 550 mm.

_Gerrhonotus imbricatus imbricatus_ is an inhabitant of coniferous

forests. In the Cordillera Volcanica it occurs from 1500 to 3500 meters

at the top of Cerro Tancitaro. In the Sierra de Coalcoman it occurs from

2100 to 2700 meters. On July 4, 1955, a pair was found in copulation

beneath a pine log at 2700 meters on Cerro Barolosa. The male was lying

on top of the female and was holding her head firmly in his jaws; the

male's tail was curled under the female's tail, so that the cloacae were

in contact.

Serpentes

~Typhlops braminus~ (Daudin)

_Eryx braminus_ Daudin, Hist.... des reptiles, 7:279,

1803.--Vazagapatam, India.

_Typhlops braminus_, Cuvier, Regne animal, ed. 2, 2:73,

1829.

Apatzingan; Arteaga.

Both specimens known from Michoacan were collected by Gadow in 1908.

Peters (1954:20) remarked that the specimen from Arteaga probably does

not indicate a rapid spreading of the species, which most likely was

introduced into Mexico at the time that vessels were stopping at

Acapulco from the Philippines (Taylor, 1940b:444), but instead may

indicate that pack trains from Acapulco passed through the Sierra de

Coalcoman. The occurrence of this snake along a long-used _camino_

substantiates this belief.

~Leptotyphlops bressoni~ Taylor

_Leptotyphlops bressoni_ Taylor, Copeia, No. 1:5, March 9,

1939.--Hacienda El Sabino, Michoacan, Mexico.

El Sabino.

This species still is known definitely only from the type specimen

collected on the lower slopes of the Cordillera Volcanica at the

northern edge of the Tepalcatepec Valley. A specimen (now lost) reported

from Aguililla by Cope (1887:63) possibly represents this species (see

Smith and Taylor, 1945:21, and Peters, 1954:20).

~Leptotyphlops gadowi~ Duellman

_Leptotyphlops gadowi_ Duellman, Copeia, No. 2:93, May 29,

1956.--Apatzingan, Michoacan, Mexico.

Apatzingan.

No additional specimens of this species have been collected since the

species was described by Duellman (1956b:93). Data given with the

specimen by Gadow indicate that it came from his camp above Apatzingan

at an elevation of about 800 meters. Although the exact position of this

camp is unknown, the lower slopes of the Cordillera Volcanica above

Apatzingan usually support arid scrub forest at elevations below 1000

meters. Therefore, this species probably is an inhabitant of the arid

scrub forest.

~Leptotyphlops phenops bakewelli~ Oliver

_Leptotyphlops bakewelli_ Oliver, Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool. Univ.

Michigan, 360:16, November 20, 1937.--Paso del Rio, Colima,

Mexico.

_Leptotyphlops phenops bakewelli_, Smith, Proc. U. S. Natl.

Mus., 93:445, October 29, 1943.

La Placita (4); La Salada; Ostula.

The five specimens from the coastal lowlands are from elevations of less

than 150 meters; these were collected by Peters (1954:20); the specimen

from La Salada is from an elevation of 580 meters in the Tepalcatepec

Valley. Peters (_loc. cit._) remarked that the rostral and the tip of

the tail that were described as white by Oliver (1937:17) actually are

sulphur-yellow in life.

~Loxocemus bicolor~ Cope

_Loxocemus bicolor_ Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.

Philadelphia, 13:77, June 30, 1861.--La Union, El Salvador.

_Loxocemus sumichrasti_ Bocourt, Ann. Sci. Nat., ser. 6,

4:1, 1876.--Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico.

Apatzingan (6); La Orilla; Lombardia.

As noted by Peters (1954:21), this species was not recorded from

Michoacan by Smith and Taylor (1945:27), but Gadow (1930:30) collected a

specimen at La Orilla in 1908. This specimen (BMNH 1914.1.28.124) is a

male having 235 ventrals and 47 caudals, a dark brown dorsum, and

cream-colored labials and venter. The anterior chin-shields are

considerably longer than the scales bordering the chin-shields. In these

characters this specimen agrees with the diagnosis of _Loxocemus

bicolor_ given by Taylor (1940c:447), who revived _Loxocemus

sumichrasti_ Bocourt. Of the six specimens from Apatzingan in the

Tepalcatepec Valley, three males have 243 to 253 (246.6) ventrals and 44

to 45 (44.3) caudals; three females have 238 to 247 (244.0) ventrals and

42 to 44 (43.0) caudals. Certain characters of scutellation utilized by

Taylor for separating _L. bicolor_ and _L. sumichrasti_ are inconsistent

in this series. The chin-shields are longer than the adjacent scales,

like those illustrated in _L. bicolor_ by Taylor (_op. cit._, fig. 1).

The relative lengths of the prefrontal and internasal sutures are

subequal, or the prefrontal suture is slightly longer. Thus, in these

characters of scutellation these snakes are like _L. bicolor_, but in

coloration they are like _L. sumichrasti_; the dorsal color in life was

an iridescent dark bluish gray, and the belly was pale gray or bluish

gray.

This small, distinctive species of the _sexlineatus_-group of