Texas, observed sea snakes on the beaches of Michoacan. In May, 1956,
Donald D. Brand of the University of Texas gave me one specimen of
_Pelamis platurus_ that he obtained on March 2, 1956, at Boca de Apiza.
Furthermore, he supplied me with the following observations based on his
field work along the coast of Michoacan from the Rio Coahuayana to
Maruata from March 1, to April 15, 1956. At that time many sea snakes
were observed; in some places living and dead individuals were seen on
the beaches; innumerable snakes were seen in the surf. When live
individuals were taken from the beach and thrown into the ocean, they
usually swam to shore. Many partially eaten individuals were seen
protruding from crab holes. Inquiries among the natives resulted in the
following information: Sea snakes are frequently seen between November
and April, but most commonly in March and April, at which time the water
is cold. The natives referred to the sea snakes as "culebra del mar."
Most natives said that the snakes were not poisonous; others did not
know of any venomous properties. In May, 1956, I worked the coastal
region from the Rio Coahuayana to La Placita and saw no sea snakes. In
the summer of 1950 James A. Peters, and in the summer of 1951 I worked
nearly the entire coastal region of Michoacan; during that time no
_Pelamis_ were seen. Insofar as I know, this is the first report of such
seasonal activity in _Pelamis platurus_ in the Americas.
~Agkistrodon bilineatus bilineatus~ Guenther
_Ancisdrodon bilineatus_ Guenther, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser.
3, 12:364, 1863.--Pacific coast of Guatemala.
_Agkistrodon bilineatus bilineatus_, Burger and Robertson,
Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull., 34 (1):213, October 1, 1951.
Apatzingan; El Sabino; La Playa; Los Reyes.
All specimens from Michoacan are from inland localities between 300 and
1500 meters. The one from Los Reyes (USNM 46416) was collected by Nelson
and Goldman on February 13, 1903. The elevation of Los Reyes (1500
meters) seems unusually high for this species, but otherwise there is no
reason to doubt the authenticity of the record. Goldman (1951:192) in
his description of Los Reyes stated: "Los Reyes is near the boundary
between the Lower Austral and Arid Upper Tropical Zones but is
preponderantly tropical in zonal character. The regular crops are mainly
sugar cane, rice, and corn." Thus the biotic features of the area are
not noticeably different from those at El Sabino and La Playa at lower
elevations. The development of extensive agriculture through irrigation
in the Tepalcatepec Valley and planting of rice and sugar-cane in that
area may produce a more widespread habitat for this snake.
The absence of specimens from the coastal lowlands is due solely to
inadequate collecting; the natives there know the snake and report that
it is not uncommon in certain areas.
~Crotalus basiliscus basiliscus~ (Cope)
_Caudisonia basilisca_ Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Philadelphia, September 30, 1864.--Colima. Type locality
restricted to Colima, Colima, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor
(1950a:328).
_Crotalus basiliscus basiliscus_, Gloyd, Nat. Hist. Misc.,
17:1, April 23, 1948.
Apatzingan (4); Camachines; Coalcoman; El Ticuiz.
Specimens from southern Michoacan have fewer ventrals and caudals than
do those from the northern part of the range; three males and three
females have, respectively, 178, 182, 182, 185, 186, and 188 ventrals,
and 27, 28, 29, 22, 29, and 29 caudals. Klauber (1952:81) gave the
following data for _Crotalus basiliscus_ (based on specimens from the
entire range, except Oaxaca): ventrals in males, 179-201 (191.4), in
females, 185-206 (197.6); caudals in males, 26-36 (30.7), in females,
21-29 (24.4). Klauber (1952:84) remarked that the one specimen that he
had seen from Apatzingan had fewer ventrals and caudals than most other
specimens. The low numbers of ventrals and caudals in specimens from
Michoacan, as compared with more northern populations, may be indicative
of a trend in the reduction of the numbers of these scutes from north to
south. The southernmost examples of _Crotalus basiliscus_ (_Crotalus
basiliscus oaxacus_ from Oaxaca) have 172-175 ventrals and 21 caudals
(Gloyd, 1948).
In Michoacan _Crotalus basiliscus basiliscus_ has been found in arid
habitats on the coast, in the Tepalcatepec Valley, and in the lower
parts of the Sierra de Coalcoman. All specimens are from localities
below 1070 meters in elevation.
~Crotalus durissus culminatus~ Klauber
_Crotalus durissus culminatus_ Klauber, Bull. Zool. Soc. San
Diego, 26:65, August 8, 1952.--El Sabino, Michoacan, Mexico.
El Sabino (18).
These specimens are part of the type series and were collected by Hobart
M. Smith near the upper limits of the arid scrub forest at an elevation
of about 1050 meters on the lower slopes of the Cordillera Volcanica at
the northern edge of the Tepalcatepec Valley. They were discussed in
detail by Klauber (1952:66-70).
~Crotalus intermedius intermedius~ Troschel
_Crotalus intermedius_ Troschel, _in_ von Mueller, Reisen in
Vereiningten Staaten, Canada und Mexico, vol. 3, p. 613,
1865.--Type locality unknown.
_Crotalus intermedius intermedius_, Klauber, Bull. Zool.
Soc. San Diego, 26:9, August 8, 1952.
Cerro Tancitaro.
The one specimen is from the pine forests on the Cordillera Volcanica.
At the present time this species is known from scattered localities in
west-central Veracruz, Oaxaca, Michoacan, and as _Crotalus intermedius
omiltemanus_ in Central Guerrero. Apparently it is restricted to montane
environments.
~Crotalus molossus nigrescens~ Gloyd
_Crotalus molossus nigrescens_ Gloyd, Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool.
Univ. Michigan, 325:2, January 28, 1936.--Four miles west of
La Colorada, Zacatecas, Mexico.
Carapan; Los Conejos; Patzcuaro; Tacicuaro (5).
In Michoacan this species has been found in pine forests between 1550
and 2300 meters in the Cordillera Volcanica. I expected to find it in
the Sierra de Coalcoman, but inquiries among the natives living in the
pine forests of that mountain range revealed that the people there have
no knowledge of a large species of rattlesnake.
~Crotalus polystictus~ (Cope)
_Caudisonia polysticta_ Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Philadelphia, 17:191, December 26, 1865.--Tableland of
Mexico. Type locality restricted to Tupataro, Guanajuata,
Mexico, by Smith and Taylor (1950a:330).
_Crotalus polystictus_ Cope, _in_ Yarrow, Wheeler's Rept.
Geog. Geol. Expl. Surv. W. 100th. Mer., vol. 5, p. 533,
1875.
Tacicuaro (4); Tupataro (2).
Formerly this species was abundant in the marshes around Lago de
Chapala. The draining of these marshes probably resulted in reducing the
numbers of these rattlesnakes. The species is known only from the
Mexican Plateau at elevations of 1450 to 2400 meters.
~Crotalus pusillus~ Klauber
_Crotalus pusillus_ Klauber, Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego,
26:34, August 8, 1952.--Tancitaro, Michoacan, Mexico.
Acuaro de las Lleguas (2); Carapan; Cerro Tancitaro (16);
Dos Aguas (12).
Aside from the type series of _Crotalus pusillus_ from Cerro Tancitaro
and one specimen from Carapan referred to the species by Klauber
(1952:38), there are fourteen specimens from the Sierra de Coalcoman.
These specimens (UMMZ 112566-7, 118591-9, 118601, 121512-3) are like
_Crotalus pusillus_ from Cerro Tancitaro in having the prefrontals
paired, a black proximal rattle, and the underside of the tail black.
The prefrontals are bordered posteriorly by one scale in two specimens,
by two scales in three specimens, and by three scales in the other nine.
The snakes from the Sierra de Coalcoman have 40 to 46 (42) dorsal body
blotches. Ten males have 150-158 (154.4) ventrals and 29-33 (31.0)
caudals; two females have 157 and 160 ventrals, and 25 and 27 caudals.
The largest specimen is a male having a body length of 545 mm. and a
tail length of 63 mm. The only noticeable difference between the
specimens from the Sierra de Coalcoman and the topotypic series is that
the latter have fewer dorsal blotches; the range of variation is 33 to
46 (39.8).
Most specimens of this species have a grayish brown dorsum and dark
brown dorsal blotches. Two specimens from Dos Aguas (UMMZ 118596 and
118599) are pale brown above and have indistinct blotches.
One specimen from Dos Aguas regurgitated a large _Gerrhonotus imbricatus
imbricatus_; of two others from the same locality, one regurgitated a
_Sceloporus bulleri_ and an _Eptesicus fuscus_. The latter specimen was
collected at the entrance of a small cave, where it probably had
captured the bat.
In the Cordillera Volcanica _Crotalus pusillus_ has been obtained in
pine-oak forest at elevations between 1550 and 1800 meters. In the
Sierra de Coalcoman two specimens were taken in pine forest at an
elevation of 2300 meters; ten other were found beneath rocks and logs in
pine-oak forest at an elevation of 2100 meters.
~Crotalus triseriatus aquilus~ Klauber
_Crotalus triseriatus aquilus_ Klauber, Bull. Zool. Soc. San
Diego, 26:24, August 8, 1952.--Alvarez, San Luis Potosi,
Mexico.
Morelia (10); Tacicuaro (2).
I am following Klauber (1952) in assigning some of the specimens of this
species from Michoacan to the subspecies _aquilus_ and others to _C. t.
triseriatus_. The distinguishing characters of these subspecies are
given by Klauber (1952:28). On the basis of the few localities from
which the species is known in Michoacan it seems as though _C. t.
aquilus_ inhabits the open grassy areas on the Mexican Plateau and the
associated open pine-oak or oak-bunch grass habitats to the north and
east of the Cordillera Volcanica. _Crotalus triseriatus aquilus_ has
been collected at elevations from 1600 to 2000 meters in Michoacan.
~Crotalus triseriatus triseriatus~ (Wagler)
_Uropsophus triseriatus_ Wagler, Natuerliches System der
Amphibien, p. 176, 1830.--Mexico. (Probably Mexico City.)
_Crotalus triseriatus triseriatus_, Klauber, Bull. Zool.
Soc. San Diego, 26:19, August 8, 1952.
Cerro Tancitaro (36); Opopeo; Patzcuaro.
This small rattlesnake inhabits rocky areas in pine and pine-oak forests
above 1600 meters in the Cordillera Volcanica; it has been collected at
3270 meters on Cerro Tancitaro. The series reported by Schmidt and
Shannon (1947:84) is a mixture of specimens of _Crotalus triseriatus_
and _Crotalus pusillus_. The two species are found together on Cerro
Tancitaro, but only _Crotalus pusillus_ inhabits the coniferous forests
of the Sierra de Coalcoman. Klauber (1952:30) stated that despite the
proximity of _Crotalus triseriatus triseriatus_ and _Crotalus
triseriatus aquilus_ in Michoacan, there is no evidence of
intergradation. He went on to suggest that additional material might
show that the two named populations actually are distinct species. The
specimens that have been studied since Klauber's investigations also
show no evidence of intergradation, but there still is no known sympatry
of the populations.
The small montane rattlesnakes belonging to the species _C. pricei_, _C.
pusillus_, and _C. triseriatus_ present a problem in systematics and
distribution worthy of intensive investigation. A knowledge of the
distribution and relationships of the various populations of these
snakes, together with other species also living in isolated populations
on the higher mountains in Mexico, probably will be of great
significance in understanding dispersal and differentiation of animals
during the Pleistocene.
SPECIES OF QUESTIONABLE OCCURRENCE
Some species for which there are no authentic records from Michoacan can
be expected there on zoogeographic probability. Other species have been
recorded from Michoacan, but these records are doubtful for any one of
several reasons. Fifteen species of such questionable occurrence are
discussed below:
~Syrrhophus modestus modestus~ Taylor
_Syrrhophus modestus_ Taylor, Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull.,
28:304, May 15, 1942.--Hacienda Paso del Rio, Colima,
Mexico.
_Syrrhophus modestus modestus_, Duellman, Occ. Pap. Mus.
Zool. Univ. Michigan, 594:5, June 6, 1958.
This small terrestrial frog is not uncommon on the coastal lowlands and
foothills in Nayarit and in Colima, where it has been collected within a
few kilometers of the Michoacan border. At Tecolapa, Colima, on August
9, 1956, _Syrrhophus modestus modestus_ was found with _Tomodactylus
nitidus orarius_, _Bufo marinus_, _Bufo marmoreus_, _Hyla baudini_,
_Hyla smithi_, and _Phyllomedusa dacnicolor_, all of which occur on the
coastal lowlands of Michoacan. Because of its solitary and secretive
habits, _Syrrhophus modestus modestus_ is not common in collections.
Additional field work on the coast of Michoacan should reveal the
presence of the species there.
~Hyla microcephala sartori~ Smith
_Hyla microcephala sartori_ Smith, Herpetologica, 7:186,
December 31, 1951.--1 mi. N of Organos, S of El Triente,
Guerrero, Mexico.
On August 28, 1960, J. R. Dixon obtained a series of this species from a
temporary pond 6 kilometers northeast of La Resolana, Jalisco.
Previously, _Hyla microcephala sartori_ had been known only from the
lowlands of Guerrero and Oaxaca. The existence of the species in Jalisco
provides evidence that this frog also occurs in Michoacan and Colima.
~Gastrophryne usta usta~ (Cope)
_Engystoma ustum_ Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia,
18:131, 1866.--Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
_Gastrophryne usta usta_, Carvalho, Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool.
Univ. Michigan, 555:13, July 16, 1954.
Smith and Taylor (1948:93-4) listed specimens of this species from
Organos and El Treinta, Guerrero, and from Paso del Rio, Queseria,
Santiago, and Tecoman, Colima. The species occurs from Sinaloa and
central Veracruz southward at low elevations to the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec and thence along the Pacific lowlands into Central America.
Almost certainly it occurs on the coastal lowlands in Michoacan. Since
the amphibian fauna of the Tepalcatepec Valley has been better sampled
than that of the coast, I suspect that if _Gastrophryne_ occurred in the
Tepalcatepec Valley, I would have found it there.
~Lepidochelys olivacea~ (Eschscholtz)
_Chelonia olivacea_ Eschscholtz, Zool. Atlas, pt. 1, p. 2,
1829.--Manila Bay, Philippine Islands.
_Lepidochelys olivacea_, Girard, United States Exploring
Expedition..., vol. 20, Herpetology, p. 435, 1858.
According to Smith and Taylor (1950b: 15), this sea turtle is known from
the entire Pacific coast of Mexico; these authors reported the species
from Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Colima, and Sonora. Although the only
sea turtle that I observed in Michoacan is _Chelonia mydas_, others
probably do use the sheltered beaches for nesting. The scanty records of
sea turtles along the Pacific coast of Mexico indicate that _Chelonia
mydas_ and _Lepidochelys olivacea_ are the most abundant species in that
region. There are scattered records of _Dermochelys coriacea_, _Caretta
caretta_, and _Eretmochelys imbricata_ along the Pacific coast. The
occurrence of any of these along the coast of Michoacan is probable.
~Geoemyda pulcherrima pulcherrima~ (Gray)
_Emys pulcherrima_ Gray, Catalogue of the Shield Reptiles in
British Museum, vol. 1, p. 25.--Mexico. Type locality
restricted to Presidio de Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, by
Smith and Taylor (1950b:30).
_Geoemyda pulcherrima pulcherrima_, Wettstein, Sitzb. Akad.
Wiss. Wien, 143:18, 1934.
Smith and Taylor (1950b:30) recorded this species from Sonora, Sinaloa,
Nayarit, Colima, and Guerrero; these records indicate that the species
probably is distributed along the Pacific coast of Mexico southward from
southern Sonora. It unquestionably occurs on the coast of Michoacan.
Natives of the coastal lowlands tell of another "tortuga de la tierra"
besides _Geoemyda rubida_. In the collections of the Museum of Natural
History of the University of Illinois is a specimen of _Geoemyda
pulcherrima_ from Mexcala in the Balsas Basin in northern Guerrero. On
the basis of this specimen it is highly probable that the species also
inhabits the Balsas-Tepalcatepec Basin in Michoacan.
~Pseudemys scripta ornata~ (Gray)
_Emys ornata_ Gray, Synopsis reptilium, p. 30,
1831.--Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico.
_Pseudemys scripta ornata_, Carr, Herpetologica, 1:135,
December 30, 1938.
The systematics and distribution of _Pseudemys scripta_ in Mexico and
Central America are poorly understood. Smith and Taylor (1950b:32)
recorded this turtle from the Pacific lowlands of Sinaloa, Jalisco,
Oaxaca, and Chiapas. This species is represented by vicarious
populations throughout the Atlantic lowlands of Mexico, northwestern
Mexico, over much of the United States, and also in Baja California.
Along the Pacific coast of Mexico the species seems to be extremely
rare, or, at least, only locally abundant. Since the species has such a
wide distribution, and since it occurs on the Pacific lowlands both to
the north and to the south of Michoacan, it is reasonable to expect its
presence on the coast of Michoacan. Inquiries among the natives living
in the Balsas-Tepalcatepec Basin produced only negative evidence about
the occurrence of _Pseudemys_ in the Rio Tepalcatepec and Rio Balsas. I
suspect that the best place to search for these turtles on the coast of
Michoacan is in the numerous fresh-water lagoons on the coastal plain.
~Caiman crocodilus fuscus~ (Cope)
_Perosuchus fuscus_ Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Philadelphia, 20:203, November 9, 1868.--Rio Magdalena,
Columbia.
_Caiman crocodilus fuscus_, Mertens, Senckenbergiana,
26:275, December 22, 1943.
Gadow (1930:50) reported that _Caiman sclerops_ (= _Caiman crocodilus
fuscus_) inhabited the "tierra caliente" in Michoacan. Smith and Taylor
(1950b:212) accepted Gadow's record for the State, although otherwise
the species is unknown north of Oaxaca. Peters (1954:10) refuted Gadow's
record on the basis that Gadow's collections contained no specimens of
_Caiman_. The local name "caiman" refers to both _Crocodylus_ and to
_Caiman_, for, in general, the natives do not distinguish between the
two. "Caimanes" are reported from along the coast of Michoacan, where
the name presumably refers to _Crocodylus acutus acutus_, and in the
Balsas-Tepalcatepec Basin (Gadow, 1930:50; Webber, 1946:267). I have
seen no specimens of either _Crocodylus_ or _Caiman_ from the Balsas
Basin. If crocodilians do occur in the basin, they probably are
_Crocodylus acutus acutus_. There is no basis, whatsoever, for including
Michoacan in the range of _Caiman crocodilus fuscus_.
~Bipes canaliculatus~ Bonnaterre
_Bipes canaliculatus_ Bonnaterre, Encyclopedie methodique,
Erpetologie, p. 68, 1789.--Mexico. Type locality restricted
to Mexcala, Guerrero, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor
(1950b:39).
Duges (1896:480) reported this species from Morelia, Michoacan. Smith
and Taylor (1950b:39), who recorded the species from three localities in
the Balsas Basin in Guerrero, rejected Duges' record. I, too, am
unwilling to accept Duges' record. Nevertheless, the species probably
occurs throughout much of the Balsas Basin. This idea is strengthened by
comments made by Storm (1939:342): "The last hard drop, that afternoon,
was down the great Cerro de los Cajones [southwest of Tacambaro], and
here in the upper forest we came upon... a lizard with front legs and
none behind ... the animal with hands and no feet that senor Smith
[Hobart M. Smith] was seeking!... They're named _Bipes caniculatus_
(_sic._)."
~Coleonyx elegans nemoralis~ Klauber
_Coleonyx elegans nemoralis_ Klauber, Trans. San Diego Soc.
Nat. Hist., 10:195, March 9, 1949.--Paso del Rio, Colima,
Mexico.
Klauber (1945:199) and Smith and Taylor (1950b:43) reported this lizard
from the coastal lowlands of Colima and Guerrero. Davis and Smith
(1953:101) reported it from 8 kilometers northeast of Temilpa, Morelos,
in the upper Balsas Basin. Specimens of this lizard have been collected
infrequently; the few locality records and limited ecological data
indicate that it inhabits dense scrub forest and tropical semi-deciduous
forest. _Coleonyx elegans nemoralis_ is to be expected on the coastal
lowlands, the seaward foothills of the Sierra de Coalcoman, and on the
lower slopes of the Cordillera Volcanica along the northern edge of the
Tepalcatepec Valley.
~Phrynosoma orbiculare orbiculare~ (Linnaeus)
_Lacerta obricularis_ Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 12,
1:1062, 1789.--Mexico (by inference). Type locality
restricted to Mexico, Districto Federal, by Smith and Taylor
(1950b:97).
_Phrynosoma orbiculare orbiculare_, Smith, Trans. Kansas
Acad. Sci., 37:290, 1934.
Gadow (1905:213) inferred that _Phrynosoma orbiculare_ occurred at
elevations of more than 3000 feet in Michoacan. There are no specimens
of this species known from Gadow's collections made in Michoacan. Smith
and Taylor (1950b:98) apparently accepted Gadow's statement and recorded
the species from Michoacan: "above 3000 feet (Jorullo?)." Reeve
(1952:940) somehow misconstrued this statement to read "Jorullo, above
Zumpango (Smith and Taylor, 1950b)." Reeve did not indicate on his map
(1952:939) that the species occurred in Michoacan. In the most recent
review of the species (Horowitz, 1955), no localities are given in
Michoacan. Since _Phrynosoma orbiculare_ is known from central Jalisco,
Guanajuato, Queretaro, and Mexico, its presence at least in northeastern
Michoacan is to be expected, although at the present time there are no
specimens known from the state.
~Eumeces brevirostris~ (Guenther)
_Mabouia brevirostris_ Guenther, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p.
316, August, 1860.--Oaxaca. Type locality restricted to
Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor (1950b:168).
_Eumeces brevirostris_, Bocourt, Mission scientifique au
Mexique et dans l'Amerique Centrale. Reptiles, livr. 6, p.
439, 1879.
Smith and Taylor (1950b:168) Listed this species: "_Michoacan_: No
specific record." I am unaware of any specimen of this skink from the
state. As presently recognized, this species contains two subspecies.
One of these occurs in the mountains of Oaxaca northward into central
Veracruz; the other, _Eumeces brevirostris bilineatus_, occurs in
Durango southward to Jalisco, where it inhabits the Sierra Madre
Occidental. Possibly the species occurs in the Sierra de los Tarascos in
Michoacan.
~Eumeces callicephalus~ Bocourt
_Eumeces callacephalus_ Bocourt, Mission scientifique au
Mexique et dans l'Amerique Centrale. Reptiles, livr. 6, p.
431, 1879.--Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Duges (1896) in a paper in which he listed several species of _Eumeces_
in Mexico, reported _Eumeces callicephalus_ from Michoacan, but he gave
no specific locality within the state. Michoacan was included in the
range of the species by Taylor (1936:298) and by Smith and Taylor
(1950b:164). The species definitely is known from southeastern Arizona
southward to Guanajuato. It may occur in Michoacan, but, since there are
three rather widespread species of _Eumeces_ inhabiting the Mexican
Plateau and associated mountain ranges in the northern and northeastern
part of Michoacan, interspecific competition might be a reason for the
absence of _Eumeces callicephalus_ there.
~Leptodeira septentrionalis polysticta~ Guenther
_Leptodeira polysticta_ Guenther, Biologia
Centrali-Americana, Reptilia, p. 172, May, 1895.--Belice,
British Honduras.
_Leptodeira septentrionalis polysticta_, Duellman, Bull.
Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 114:72, February 24, 1958.
Although this species occurs from sea level to elevations of about 2000
meters from Nayarit southward into Central America, no specimens are
known from Michoacan. Smith and Taylor (1945:87) listed the species as
occurring in Michoacan, but they had no record on which to base this
report. Probably, the species occurs on the coastal lowlands and seaward
slopes of the Sierra de Coalcoman.
~Tropidodipsas fasciata guerreroensis~ Taylor
_Tropidodipsas guerreroensis_ Taylor, Univ. Kansas Sci.
Bull., 26:470; November 27, 1940.--Buena Vista, Guerrero,
Mexico.
_Tropidodipsas fasciata guerreroensis_, Alvarez del Toro and
Smith, Herpetologica, 12:16, March 6, 1956.
Duges (1896:480) reported a snake, questionably of this species, from
Uruapan, Michoacan. Taylor (1940c) suggested that on geographic grounds
Duges' record might refer to _T. f. guerreroensis_, which is known
definitely only from the type locality. _Tropidodipsas occidentala_ is
known from Comala, Colima, and Coalcoman, Michoacan. On zoogeopraphic
grounds that species might be found at Uruapan. Since the specimen
apparently no longer is extant, the identification cannot be
ascertained.
~Micrurus fitzingeri fitzingeri~ (Jan)
_Elaps fitzingeri_ Jan, Rev. Mag. Zool., p. 521,
1858.--Mexico. Type locality restricted to Guanajuato,
Guanajuato, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor (1950a:330).
_Micrurus fitzingeri fitzingeri_, Brown and Smith, Proc.
Biol. Soc. Washington, 55:63, June 25, 1942.