sumichrasti_ have been questioned by Woodbury and Woodbury (1944:360);
these authors treated _L. sumichrasti_ as a subspecies of _L. bicolor_.
As pointed out by Zweifel (1959b:5), such an arrangement is not tenable,
for, although individuals with each kind of color pattern have not been
collected together at any one locality, the over-all geographic picture
is one of sympatric distribution. Only snakes having the coloration of
_L. sumichrasti_ have been collected in the Balsas-Tepalcatepec Basin. I
agree with Zweifel (_loc. cit._) that on the basis of morphological
similarities and sympatric distribution, _L. bicolor_ and _L.
sumichrasti_ seem to be dimorphic phases of the same species, showing no
more striking differences in coloration than _Lampropeltis getulus
californiae_, a now classical example of pattern dimorphism in snakes.
In Michoacan, as in other parts of its range, _Loxocemus bicolor_
inhabits arid scrub forest environments at low elevations.
~Boa constrictor imperator~ Daudin
_Boa imperator_ Daudin, Hist. nat.... des reptiles, 5:150,
1803.--Mexico. Type locality restricted to Cordoba,
Veracruz, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor (1950a:347).
_Boa constrictor imperator_, Forcart, Herpetologica, 7:199,
December 31, 1951.
Apatzingan (4); Coalcoman; El Sabino (2); La Placita; La
Playa (2); Lombardia; Nueva Italia (2); Rio Cachan; Rio
Marquez, 13 km. SE of Nueva Italia; Rio Nexpa; Volcan
Jorullo.
These specimens have come from a variety of habitats from elevations of
less than 1,000 meters. The species seems to be equally abundant in the
broad-leafed semi-deciduous forests of the coastal foothills and in the
arid Tepalcatepec Valley. In the latter area most of the specimens were
collected at night.
~Coniophanes fissidens dispersus~ Smith
_Coniophanes fissidens dispersus_ Smith, Proc. U. S. Natl.
Mus., 91:106, November 13, 1941.--El Limoncito, Guerrero,
Mexico.
Arteaga.
Further collecting in southern Michoacan has failed to add additional
material of this species, which is known in the state from the one
specimen collected by Gadow in 1908. The species possibly ranges
throughout the coastal foothills of the Sierra de Coalcoman. Peters
(1954:21) described the specimen from Arteaga.
~Coniophanes lateritius lateritius~ Cope
_Coniophanes lateritius_ Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Philadelphia, 13:524, March 31, 1862.--Guadalajara, Jalisco,
Mexico.
_Coniophanes lateritius lateritius_, Smith and Grant,
Herpetologica, 14:20, April 25, 1958.
Nineteen km. S of Arteaga.
The one specimen available from Michoacan of this apparently rare
species was discussed by Wellman (1959:127), who pointed out that
although the specimen was geographically intermediate between the
subspecies _C. l. lateritius_ (Jalisco and Nayarit) and _C. l.
melanocephalus_ (Morelos and Puebla), the specimen (UMMZ 118954) was
like _C. l. lateritius_ in scutellation and in color pattern differed
from other known specimens of the species in having had in life a pale
orange, instead of a brick-red, dorsum. Additional specimens from the
Sierra de Coalcoman will be required in order to determine whether this
specimen is a representative of an orange-colored population or merely
is aberrant in coloration.
The present specimen is from an elevation of 900 meters in oak forest on
the southern slopes of the Sierra de Coalcoman; other locality records
for the species indicate that it inhabits broad-leafed forest in
foothills from Nayarit to Puebla.
~Conophis vittatus vittatus~ Peters
_Conophis vittatus_ Peters, Monats. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, p.
519, 1860.--No type locality given. Type locality restricted
to Laguna Coyuca, Guerrero, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor
(1950a:331).
_Conophis vittatus vittatus_, Smith, Jour. Washington Acad.
Sci., 31:119, March 17, 1941.
Arteaga; Coalcoman (4); La Playa; 19 km. S of Tzitzio.
All specimens of this terrestrial snake have been collected in areas of
scrub forest between 800 and 1100 meters above sea level. Since the
species is known from the coastal regions of Guerrero and Colima, its
absence from the cost of Michoacan is unexplainable; probably the lack
of specimens from these areas is due solely to inadequate collecting.
~Conopsis biserialis~ Taylor and Smith
_Conopsis biserialis_ Taylor and Smith, Univ. Kansas Sci.
Bull., 28 (2):333, November 12, 1942.--Ten miles west of
Villa Victoria, Mexico, Mexico.
Capacuaro (5); Cerro San Andres; Cheran; Ciudad Hidalgo;
Macho de Agua (4): Patzcuaro (8); Tancitaro (24); Uruapan
(9); 24 km. SE of Zitacuaro (14).
This species is abundant in the coniferous forests at elevations from
1550 to 2800 meters throughout the Cordillera Volcanica; apparently it
does not occur in the Sierra de Coalcoman.
On August 1, 1956, a copulating pair was found beneath a rock at
Capacuaro.
One of the best characters to distinguish this species from _Toluca
lineata_, which occurs with _Conopsis_ throughout its range in
Michoacan, is the presence of large, black ventral blotches in _Conopsis
biserialis_, as contrasted with the two rows of small black spots in
_Toluca lineata_.
~Conopsis nasus~ Guenther
_Conopsis nasus_ Guenther, Catalogue... snakes... British
Museum, p. 6, 1858.--California (in error). Type locality
restricted to Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico, by Smith and
Taylor (1950a:330).
Carapan (2); Erongaricuaro; Maravatio (3); Morelia (2);
Nahuatzen; Patzcuaro (7); Tacicuaro (8); Tancitaro.
This species has been collected in oak, pine-oak, and fir forests at
elevations of 1900 to 2450 meters on the mountains rising from the
Mexican Plateau. It does not seem to be so abundant as _Conopsis
biserialis_. Sufficient ecological data to determine differences in
habitat between the two species have not been compiled.
~Diadophis dugesi~ Villada
_Diadophis punctatus dougesii_ Villada, La Naturaleza,
3:226, 1875.--Potreros de Balbuena, Distrito Federal,
Mexico.
_Diadophis dugesii_, Blanchard, Bull. Chicago Acad. Sci.,
7:51, December 30, 1942.
Morelia (2); Patzcuaro; Quiroga.
Apparently this snake is uncommon in Michoacan. It has been found only
at elevations of 1900 to 2200 meters in pine and pine-oak forests on the
mountains rising from the Mexican Plateau.
~Dryadophis melanolomus stuarti~ Smith
_Dryadophis melanolomus stuarti_ Smith, Proc. U. S. Natl.
Mus., 93:418, October 29, 1943.--Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico.
Coahuayana; El Ticuiz; La Placita (3); Punto San Juan de
Lima; Punto San Telmo.
The few specimens indicate that in Michoacan, as elsewhere on the
Pacific coast of Mexico, this species is restricted to forested regions
on the coastal plain. It does not occur in the Tepalcatepec Valley.
The coloration, in life, of a juvenile (UMMZ 114604) is as follows: The
dorsum is uniform pale grayish tan on posterior one-third of body and on
tail; anteriorly there are pale grayish tan middorsal blotches separated
by grayish white interspaces, which are about one-half the length of the
blotches. Posteriorly the blotches are less distinct, fading into the
uniform grayish tan ground color of the posterior part of the body. The
blotches extend laterally onto the fourth and fifth scale rows. Large
squarish lateral intercalary blotches of darker brown interconnect with
the dorsal blotches. The top of the head is pale olive-brown; a dark
brown postorbital stripe extends from the eye to the posterior edge of
the last upper labial. The labials, chin, and ventrals 1-30 are creamy
white, changing to a dusty cream-color posteriorly; the chin and
ventrals 1-30 are heavily spotted with dark brown. The iris is a
cream-color above and chocolate brown below; the tongue is blue.
~Drymarchon corais rubidus~ Smith
_Drymarchon corais rubidus_ Smith, Jour. Washington Acad.
Sci., 31:474, November 11, 1941.--Rosario, Sinaloa, Mexico.
Apatzingan (5); Arroyo El Salto; Arteaga; Capirio; El Sabino
(7); La Palma; La Placita; Ostula; San Juan de Lima.
Not all of the specimens from Michoacan are typical in color pattern of
this subspecies, as defined by Smith (1941a:475). All specimens from the
Tepalcatepec Valley are uniformly black above; they have reddish or
cream-colored chins and the anterior two-thirds of the belly salmon-pink
or reddish buff. Individuals from the Sierra de Coalcoman (Arteaga and
Arroyo El Salto) are like those from the Tepalcatepec Valley. Three
specimens from the coastal lowlands differ noticeably in color pattern:
UMMZ 104504, adult male (Ostula).--Pale brown above flecked with black
anteriorly; at midbody, flecks form narrow transverse bands that become
progressively wider posteriorly, until on tail no brown pigment evident,
all ventrals reddish buff, except last eight, which are black.
UMMZ 104602, adult female (La Placita).--Black above, reddish
cross-bands and flecks on all of body; dorsal and ventral surfaces of
tail black; chin cream-color and entire belly reddish buff.
UMMZ 114626, adult male (San Juan de Lima).--Black above; dull
rust-colored cross-bands on anterior half of body; chin white; belly
rust-colored on anterior two-thirds of body and black posteriorly.
One specimen from La Palma on the Mexican Plateau (KU 29275) has the top
of the head an olive-color, the entire dorsum black, the chin and
ventrals 1-42 a cream-color, remainder of venter black, and all of the
labials heavily barred with black. A juvenile from Capirio in the
Tepalcatepec Valley (UMMZ 114627) is black above and has pale
olive-colored flecks on the anterior one-third of the body; the top of
the head is dark olive-brown, and the sides of the head are somewhat
paler. Anteriorly the belly is a cream-color; posteriorly it is black.
The specimens from the Tepalcatepec Valley are typical of _Drymarchon
corais rubidus_. Those from the coastal lowlands differ in having large
areas of brown or red pigment on the dorsum, a condition not mentioned
by Smith in his description of the subspecies. The specimen from La
Palma, like many others from various localities on the Mexican Plateau,
resembles in certain characters _D. corais orizabensis_ (Smith, _op.
cit._: 477). Our knowledge of the geographical variation in coloration
in this species is incomplete; many populations have been assigned to
subspecific rank without justification.
In Michoacan this species is found from sea level to 1350 meters in the
Sierra de Coalcoman and to 1300 meters at La Palma on Lago de Chapala.
It has been collected in scrub forest, semi-deciduous broad-leafed
forest, and oak forest.
~Drymobius margaritiferus fistulosus~ Smith
_Drymobius margaritiferus fistulosus_ Smith, Proc. U. S.
Natl. Mus., 92:383, November 5, 1942.--Miramar, Nayarit,
Mexico.
Apatzingan (3); Coahuayana; Coalcoman (3); El Sabino (3); El
Ticuiz; 12 km. S of Tzitzio.
This snake is abundant in the lowlands of the state; the few specimens
listed above are indicative not of the rarity, but rather of the speed
and agility, of this diurnal snake. It most frequently is found near
water, where there is a dense growth of vegetation. One individual was
observed in a large pool inhabited by several small _Rana pipiens_, and
another was seen along the bank of a hyacinth-choked river channel. A
third individual was captured while it was in pursuit of a
_Cnemidophorus_.
This species has been collected on the coastal lowlands and seaward
foothills of the Sierra de Coalcoman and in the Tepalcatepec Valley to
elevations of 1150 meters.
~Elaphe triaspis intermedia~ (Boettger)
_Pityophis intermedius_ Boettger, Ber. Offen. Vereins.
Naturk., 22:148, 1883.--Mexico. Type locality restricted to
Hacienda El Sabino, Michoacan, Mexico, by Dowling (1960:74).
_Elaphe triaspis intermedia_, Mertens and Dowling,
Senckenbergiana, 33:201, November 15, 1952.
Twenty-four km. E of Apatzingan; Chupio; El Sabino (4); 11
km. E of Emiliano Zapata.
Dowling (1960) has shown that specimens from the Balsas-Tepalcatepec
Basin have fewer ventrals and caudals than those from the Sierra del Sur
or the coast. All specimens from Michoacan were collected in open
forest, either scrub or oak forest. They were found in drier situations
than those described for the species in southern Tamaulipas by Martin
(1958:69). In Michoacan _Elaphe triaspis intermedia_ is known from the
Tepalcatepec Valley, the lower slopes of the Cordillera Volcanica, and
the western edge of the Mexican Plateau at an elevation of 1350 meters.
It probably occurs in the lower parts of the Sierra de Coalcoman and
along the Pacific coast, for it is known from the coastal lowlands of
Guerrero and Colima. In August, 1951, I saw a snake that probably was
this species in Barranca de Bejuco.
~Enulius unicolor~ (Fischer)
_Geophis unicolor_ Fischer, Abh. Nat. Ver. Bremen, 7:227,
1882.--Mexico. Type locality restricted to Chilpancingo,
Guerrero, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor (1950a:331).
_Enulius unicolor_, Taylor and Smith, Univ. Kansas Sci.
Bull., 25:247, July 10, 1939.
Between Ario de Rosales and La Playa; Coalcoman; Jungapeo
(4); between Zitacuaro and Tuxpan.
This small snake has been collected from beneath rocks in brushy areas
and broad-leafed forest between 900 and 1800 meters; it has not been
found in coniferous forest. The limited ecological data suggest that the
species inhabits the transition zone between the tropical scrub forest
and the temperate hardwood forest.
All of the specimens have 17 rows of scales; four males have 169-178
(174.2) ventrals and 102-111 (106.8) caudals; two females have 192 and
195 ventrals and 96 and 87 caudals. Three individuals have one
postocular on one side and two on the other; in the other specimens
there are two postoculars on each side. The largest male has a body
length of 232 mm. and a tail length of 130 mm.; the largest female has a
body length of 274 mm. and a tail length of 119 mm.
~Geagras redimitus~ Cope
_Geagras redimitus_ Cope, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Philadelphia, ser. 2, 8:141, 1876.
San Juan de Lima (2).
Previously this species was known definitely only from the Plains of
Tehuantepec, Oaxaca. _Sphenocalamus lineolatus_ was described by Fischer
(1883:5) from Mazatlan; this name has been placed in the synonymy of
_Geagras redimitus_ Cope. Although Fischer gave the type locality only
as "Mazatlan" and did not designate the state, it is probable that the
type originated from Mazatlan, Sinaloa. The present specimens are from a
locality almost midway between Tehuantepec and Mazatlan and support the
possibility that _Geagras_ ranges along the Pacific coast of Mexico from
Oaxaca to Sinaloa.
The two specimens from Michoacan (UMMZ 114446-7), both males, have 118
and 122 ventrals, 31 and 33 caudals, body lengths of 108 and 81 mm., and
tail lengths of 20 and 15 mm. Both have 1-1 preoculars, 1-1 postoculars,
1-2 temporals, 6-6 upper labials, and 5-5 lower labials. In life, the
dorsum was pale tan; the top of the head and the middorsal and lateral
stripes were dark brown; the belly was white. The occipital spots were
pale pinkish tan. Both specimens were found beneath rocks in tropical
semi-deciduous forest at an elevation of 15 meters on the coastal plain.
~Geophis dugesi~ Bocourt
_Geophis dugesii_ Bocourt, Miss. Scientifique au Mexique et
dans l'Amerique Centrale, Rept., livr. 9:573,
1883.--Tangancicuaro, Michoacan, Mexico.
Carapan; Tangancicuaro; Zacapu.
Aside from the three specimens listed above, there are two (SU 4407-8)
bearing the data "Michoacan." Bocourt (1883:574) stated that the type
specimen from Tangancicuaro had six or seven pale cross-bands on the
anterior part of the body. An illustration, presumably of the same
specimen, by Duges (1884:Pl. 9) shows five distinct and one indistinct
cross-bands. Of the four specimens that I have examined, none has more
than three pale cross-bands, and one has only one indistinct cross-band.
Two females have 154 and 158 ventrals and 38 and 37 caudals; two males
have 150 and 151 ventrals and 43 and 42 caudals.
This species is known only from elevations between 1750 and 2050 meters
on the southwestern edge of the Mexican Plateau in the state of
Michoacan.
~Geophis incomptus~ Duellman
_Geophis incomptus_ Duellman, Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool. Univ.
Michigan, 605:3, May 29, 1959.--Dos Aguas, Michoacan,
Mexico.
Dos Aguas (15).
This species, which seems to be related to _Geophis maculiferus_, is
known only from the pine-oak forest in the vicinity of Dos Aguas
(elevation 2100 meters) in the Sierra de Coalcoman. Aside from the five
specimens comprising the type series, there are ten other specimens in
the Museum of Zoology at the University of Michigan collected by Floyd
L. Downs in July, 1960. Data from these specimens and those comprising
the type series show that in this sample seven males have 146-153
(149.3) ventrals and 35-37 (36.0) caudals; eight females have 150-154
(152.4) ventrals and 29-34 (32.5) caudals. The largest specimen is a
female with a body length of 344 mm. and a tail length of 53 mm.
~Geophis maculiferus~ Taylor
_Geophis maculiferus_ Taylor, Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull.,
27:119, December 30, 1941.--Near Cicio [_sic_] = Tzitzio,
Michoacan, Mexico.
Tzitzio.
The type and only known specimen of _Geophis maculiferus_ (UIMNH 25078)
is a female having 140 ventrals and 30 caudals, dorsal scales in 15
rows, one postocular, and an anterior temporal. Only one other species
in Mexico has dorsal scales in 15 rows and has an anterior temporal;
that species is _G. incomptus_, which differs from _G. maculiferus_ in
having six or seven lower labials, instead of five, and in having the
edges of the ventrals dark, instead of a uniformly cream-colored belly.
The locality from which the specimen was obtained lies at an elevation
of 1630 meters on the southern slope of the Cordillera Volcanica. At
that elevation there is an interdigitation of arid tropical scrub forest
and pine-oak forest; probably _Geophis maculiferus_ inhabits the
pine-oak forest.
~Geophis nigrocinctus~ Duellman
_Geophis nigrocinctus_ Duellman, Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool. Univ.
Michigan, 605:1, May 29, 1959.--Dos Aguas, Michoacan,
Mexico.
Dos Aguas (3).
The three specimens comprising the type series of the species were found
beneath logs and in a stump in pine-oak forest at an elevation of 2100
meters. A discussion of the variation in these specimens and of
probable relationships of the species was given by Duellman (1959).
Floyd Downs spent several days at Dos Aguas in July, 1960; although he
found ten specimens of _Geophis incomptus_, no further specimens of _G.
nigrocinctus_ were obtained.
~Geophis petersi~ Boulenger
_Geophis petersii_ Boulenger, Catalogue Snakes... British
Museum, 2:321, September 23, 1894.--Mexico City. Type
locality restricted to Patzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico, by
Smith and Taylor (1950a:335).
Cheran; Coalcoman; Morelia; Patzcuaro (6).
This seems to be the most widespread species of _Geophis_ in Michoacan.
It has been found at elevations between 950 and 2350 meters, chiefly in
pine or pine-oak forest. Boulenger (1894:321) described _Geophis
petersi_ from a specimen stated to be from Mexico City, a locality which
probably is in error. The only localities from which the species is
definitely known are those listed in this account.
Three males and five females from the Mexican Plateau and the Cordillera
Volcanica have respectively 140-144 (141.7) and 143-151 (146.0) ventrals
and 39-41 (40.0) and 29-35 (33.2) caudals. All have dorsal scales in 15
rows, 1 postocular, no anterior temporal, and a relatively small
triangular supraocular. The specimen from Coalcoman (UMMZ 104698) was
referred to _Geophis nasalis_ by Peters (1954:22). This specimen is
abnormal in several characters; in five places there is a fusion and
separation of the vertebral and paravertebral scale rows, producing a
change from 17 to 15 rows of dorsal scales. Fusion of the three rows
takes place at the level of the 8th, 41st, 47th, 54th, and 65th
ventrals. Furthermore, there is a small secondary postocular on each
side of the head. In other characters the specimen is like _G. petersi_;
the resemblances to that species are greater than to _G. nasalis_, which
has been recorded from Guatemala and southern Chiapas.
~Geophis tarascae~ Hartweg
_Geophis tarascae_ Hartweg, Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool. Univ.
Michigan, 601:1, May 4, 1959.--Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico.
Uruapan (3).
A female of this species was collected in the Parque Nacional at the
north edge of Uruapan in 1899, and a male was taken there in 1947; these
specimens were used by Hartweg in his description of the species. Floyd
L. Downs obtained another specimen in the Parque Nacional on July 19,
1960. It has 164 ventrals and 46 caudals; in life, the ground color of
the neck was brown with a purplish tint; the dorsal markings were black;
the chin was a cream-color, and the belly was white. This specimen is
distinguished from those of all other species of _Geophis_ in Michoacan
in that it has dark irregular cross-bars on the dorsum and a row of dark
spots on the venter.
~Hypsiglena torquata ochrorhyncha~ Cope
_Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha_ Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Philadelphia, 12:246, November 15, 1860.--Cape San Lucas,
Baja California, Mexico.
_Hypsiglena torquata ochrorhyncha_, Bogert and Oliver, Bull.
Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 83:378, March 30, 1945.
Tupataro.
The systematic status of the geographic variants of _Hypsiglena_ in
Mexico and southwestern United States has been commented on by several
authors. Tanner (1944) considered _H. torquata_ and _H. ochrorhyncha_ to
be distinct species; Bogert and Oliver (1945:379) and Duellman
(1957b:238) presented evidence indicating that _H. torquata_ and _H.
ochrorhyncha_ intergrade in Sinaloa and southern Sonora. In _Hypsiglena_
the scutellation, including the numbers of labials, dorsals, ventrals,
and caudals, seem to vary in a clinal manner. Nevertheless, these snakes
can be divided into two distinct populations on the basis of the nuchal
color pattern, consisting of an _ochrorhyncha_-type (a broad dark
nape-band, the lateral edges of which extend anteriorly and fuse with a
postorbital stripe, and a narrow nape stripe extending from the
posteromedian edges of the parietals to the dark nape band) and a
_torquata_-type (a somewhat narrower dark nape-band bordered anteriorly
by a pale nuchal area, and no dark nape stripe). Snakes having the
_ochrorhyncha_-type of nuchal pattern are found on the Mexican Plateau
from Michoacan northward into the desert regions of Sonora and the
southwestern United States. Snakes having the _torquata_-type of pattern
are found on the coastal lowlands and adjacent slopes of the Sierra
Madre Occidental from southern Sinaloa to Colima and thence inland in
the Balsas-Tepalcatepec Basin to Morelos and Guerrero. An exception is
_Hypsiglena torquata dunklei_ from Forlon and San Fernando, Tamaulipas;
it has the _torquata_-type of nuchal pattern. The distributional picture
is somewhat complicated because some individuals having the
_torquata_-type of nuchal pattern also have a faint nape stripe. If
these are taken as exceptions, the general picture of distribution in
Mexico is _H. t. torquata_ on the Pacific lowlands from Sinaloa
southward to the Balsas Basin and _H. t. ochrorhyncha_ on the Mexican
Plateau.
Smith (1943:433) resurrected _Hypsiglena jani_ Duges for the snakes of
the _ochrorhyncha_-type on the southern part of the Mexican Plateau. He
stated that the southern specimens differed from northern ones in having
a nuchal spot 9 or 10 scales in length, as compared with a spot 2 to 6
scales in length in northern specimens. A cursory examination of
specimens from the areas between Arizona and Michoacan showed that there
is a gradual increase in the size of the spot from north to south. If no
other characters can be found to distinguish the populations, they
should be considered as a single subspecies.