The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacán, México

Chapter IV: Part 4

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This large species inhabits the Mexican Plateau and the Cordillera Volcanica, but not the Sierra de Coalcoman, where apparently it is replaced by _Sceloporus bulleri_. _Sceloporus torquatus torquatus_ usually is found in pine or pine-fir forests at elevations between 1450 and 3000 meters. In many places it is almost entirely arboreal, but in areas where there are many fallen trees or rock fences and rock piles, many individuals have been found on the ground near the rocks or logs. In the coniferous forests this species is associated with _S. grammicus microtepidotus_ and _S. aeneus aeneus_.

The distinction made by Smith (1938:572) between the subspecies _S. torquatus torquatus_ and _melanogaster_ is slight. Individuals with pale bluish spots are found throughout the range of the species in Michoacan; spotting is especially evident in the young. Individuals having an incomplete nuchal collar have been found at Maravatio and at Zinapecuaro in the northern part of the state; in this character these specimens resemble _S. torquatus melanogaster_, which is found to the north from Guanajuato to Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi.

~Sceloporus utiformis~ Cope

_Sceloporus utiformis_ Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Philadelphia, 16:177, September 30, 1864.--Colima, Colima,
Mexico.

Nineteen km. S of Arteaga (2); Cascada Tzararacua (17);
Coahuayana (3); Coalcoman (6); El Sabino (2); El Ticuiz (2);
Ostula (3); Pomaro; Rio Cachan; San Juan de Lima; Uruapan
(26).

In Michoacan the range of this species is discontinuous. It has been found between 1050 and 1550 meters on the slopes of the Cordillera Volcanica, and on the coast and seaward slopes of the Sierra de Coalcoman up to an elevation of 900 meters. It is absent from the Tepalcatepec Valley. At Uruapan and at Cascada Tzararacua this lizard was found on the ground in oak forest or in open pine-oak forest; on the coast and foothills of the Sierra de Coalcoman it was found on the ground in the gallery forests along streams, and not in the scrub forest.

~Urosaurus bicarinatus tuberculatus~ (Schmidt)

_Uta tuberculata_ Schmidt, Amer. Mus. Novitates, 22:4,
December 1, 1921.--Colima, Colima, Mexico.

_Urosaurus bicarinatus tuberculatus_, Mittleman, Bull. Mus.
Comp. Zool., 91:169, September, 1942.

Twenty-six km. S of Arteaga; Cascada Tzararacua (2); Chupio;
Coahuayana; Coalcoman (8); El Sabino (2); Jungapeo; La
Orilla (2); La Placita (4); Playa Azul (4); Pomaro (2); San
Salvador (16);? Tupataro; Uruapan (12); Tzitzio; Zamora.

The known distribution and geographic variation of _Urosaurus bicarinatus_ in southwestern Mexico presents a confused picture. In general rugosity, specimens from the coastal region of Michoacan (Coahuayana, La Orilla, La Placita, Playa Azul, and Pomaro) resemble _U. bicarinatus tuberculatus_ to the north along the Pacific coast. Furthermore, specimens from the coast have less stippling in the gular region than do those from the Sierra de Coalcoman and the slopes of the Cordillera Volcanica. Specimens from the mountains have greatly carinate enlarged dorsals, large lateral tubercles, and heavily stippled throats; in these characters they resemble specimens from Morelos, Guerrero, and Oaxaca. As mentioned by Peters (1954:14), some specimens from La Orilla and San Salvador are like _U. bicarinatus bicarinatus_ in certain characters, and one specimen has the blue ventral patches restricted to the sternal area, a characteristic of _U. bicarinatus anonymorphus_ of Oaxaca and eastern Guerrero. Examination of all available specimens from Michoacan indicates that the nature of the dorsal scales is of little value in separating the subspecies. The specimens from Michoacan are here provisionally referred to _U. bicarinatus tuberculatus_, because cursory examination of specimens from several localities between Nayarit and Oaxaca shows that there are only minor differences between the named populations. Individuals from the northern part of the range are more rugose and have larger blue ventral patches and less gular stippling than those from the south.

In Michoacan _Urosaurus bicarinatus tuberculatus_ is found in wooded areas, not in open scrub forest, in the coastal area to elevations of about 900 meters, and along the slopes of the Cordillera Volcanica and the southern edge of the Mexican Plateau at elevations from 1000 to 1700 meters. The record for Tupataro probably is erroneous, for no other specimens of this species are known from the central plateau. Essentially, the distribution of this species parallels that of _Sceloporus utiformis_, a strictly terrestrial species. _Urosaurus bicarinatus tuberculatus_ lives on tree trunks. Below 1000 meters in the Tepalcatepec Valley _Urosaurus bicarinatus tuberculatus_ is replaced by _Urosaurus gadowi_.

~Urosaurus gadowi~ (Schmidt)

_Uta gadovi_ Schmidt, Amer. Mus. Novitates, 22:3, December
1, 1921.--Cofradia, Jalisco, Mexico (in error) = Cofradia,
Michoacan, Mexico (Duellman, 1958b:49).

_Urosaurus gadowi_, Mittleman, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool.,
91:154, September, 1942.

Acahuato (2); Apatzingan (56); 12-16 km. S of Apatzingan
(12); Buenavista (7); Capirio (23); Cofradia (21); El Sabino
(13); Guayabo; Jazmin; La Playa; La Salada (3); Nueva Italia
(7); Rancho Nuevo; Rio Cancita, 14 km. E of Apatzingan (5);
Rio Marquez, 10 km. S of Lombardia (2); Rio Marquez, 13 km.
SE of Nueva Italia (3); San Salvador (2); Santa Ana;
Tepalcatepec; Volcan Jorullo (3); Zicuiran (2);
Ziracuaretiro.

Although individuals of this species have been collected at elevations slightly exceeding 1200 meters on Volcan Jorullo and at 1100 meters at Ziracuaretiro on the southern slopes of the Cordillera Volcanica, for the most part these lizards are found at elevations of less than 800 meters, where they inhabit the open arid scrub forest of the Tepalcatepec Valley, a region to which this species is endemic (Duellman, 1958b:49). These small lizards usually are found on the trunks and main branches of the small trees in the scrub forest; in this habitat they are associated with _Sceloporus horridus oligoporus_, a much larger species.

Males have a pale orange spot on the throat and a pale blue belly; females have immaculate venters.

A specimen from Guayabo on the northern slopes of the Sierra de Coalcoman was referred to _Urosaurus irregularis_ (Fischer) by Peters (1954:15). I have studied this specimen (BMNH 1914.1.28.110), a female having a snout-vent length of 46 mm., and agree with Peters that it closely resembles Fischer's description and figure (1882: pl. 17, fig. 1). This specimen and those seen of _Urosaurus gadowi_ all have pavementlike enlarged dorsal scales that are complete across the vertical line. In _U. gadowi_ the enlarged dorsals usually are in four to six irregular rows; in the specimen from Guayabo the dorsals are in two rows. Although none of the other specimens of _U. gadowi_ examined has only two rows of enlarged dorsals, I prefer to consider the specimen from Guayabo as an aberrant individual of that species, rather than _U. irregularis_. Guayabo is in the known range of _U. gadowi_. _Urosaurus irregularis_ is known only from the type specimen in the Bremen Museum; the type locality, according to Fischer (1882:232), is "Aus dem Hochlande von Mexico." If an examination of the type specimen of _U. irregularis_ shows it to be identical with _U. gadowi_, then _U. irregularis_ would be the name for the lizards here referred to _U. gadowi_.

~Mabuya brachypoda~ Taylor

_Mabuya brachypoda_ Taylor, Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull., 38
(1):308, December 20, 1956.--Four kilometers east-southeast
of Los Angeles de Tilaran, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

El Sabino (42); La Placita; Playa Azul; Tzitzio (3).

Previously this species has been reported from La Placita as _Mabuya mabouya alliacea_ by Peters (1954:15). Webb (1958:1311) provided evidence that Mexican specimens were conspecific with _Mabuya brachypoda_, as described from Costa Rica by Taylor (1956:308). The large series in the Taylor collection studied by Webb and listed by him as being from Uruapan actually is part of a series collected by Hobart M. Smith at El Sabino at an elevation of 1050 meters, 30 kilometers south of Uruapan.

This species probably ranges throughout the coastal region of the state; individuals from La Placita and Playa Azul were taken in dense scrub forest near sea level.

~Scincella assata taylori~ (Oliver)

_Leiolopisma assatum taylori_ Oliver, Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool.
Univ. Michigan, 360:12, November 20, 1937.--Santiago,
Colima, Mexico.

_Scincella assata taylori_, Mittleman, Herpetologica, 6:20,
June 5, 1950.

Twenty-one km. S of Arteaga; Ostula.

The specimen from Ostula was obtained in semi-deciduous broad-leaf forest at an elevation of 120 meters; that from 21 kilometers south of Arteaga was taken in oak forest at an elevation of 830 meters. Both localities are on the coastal slopes of the Sierra de Coalcoman. Probably the species inhabits the heavy forests on the lower slopes of these mountains. The specimen from south of Arteaga (UMMZ 119117) in life had a tan dorsum and a bright orange-pink tail.

~Eumeces altamirani~ Duges

_Eumeces altamirani_ Duges, La Naturaleza, ser. 2, 1:485,
1891.--Apatzingan, Michoacan, Mexico.

Twelve km. E of Apatzingan; El Sabino (4).

One specimen of this rare species was found beneath a rock in the open scrub forest 12 kilometers east of Apatzingan on July 3, 1955. Another skink, presumably of this species, was seen at Capirio. The specimen from east of Apatzingan is a male having a snout-vent length of 97 mm. and an incomplete tail. In most respects it compares favorably with accounts of the species given by Taylor (1936b:55 and 1936c:102). The frontal is divided by a transverse suture; the enlarged dorsal scales are arranged in 11 pairs anteriorly, followed by 48 unpaired enlarged scales. The head and middorsal area are brown; there is a pale tan stripe on the edges of the vertebral and paravertebral rows, bordered by a dark brown stripe on the paravertebral row, which, in turn, is bordered by a pale tan stripe on the lateral edge of the paravertebral scale row and the median edge of the adjacent scale row. The stripes extend from the neck to the base of the tail. The flanks are mottled with brown and cream-color; the labials are cream-color barred by brown; the venter is a pale cream-color.

Duges (1891:485) described _Eumeces altamirani_ from "las regiones calidas del Estado de Michoacan" and subsequently (1896:480) gave Apatzingan as a locality for the species. Presumably he had only one specimen. In 1935 Hobart M. Smith collected the species at El Sabino on the lower slopes of the Cordillera Volcanica bordering the Tepalcatepec Valley. All of the known specimens are from this valley and the adjacent slopes, an area to which the species apparently is endemic.

~Eumeces colimensis~ Taylor

_Eumeces colimensis_ Taylor, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist.,
zool. ser., 20:77, May 15, 1935.--Colima, Colima, Mexico.

Coalcoman; Salitre de Estopila.

The species was reported by Peters (1954:16); no additional material has been discovered. The species is known only from foothills and low mountains at elevations between 130 and 950 meters in Michoacan and Colima.

~Eumeces copei~ Taylor

_Eumeces copei_ Taylor, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 46:133,
June 5, 1933.--10 miles southeast of Asuncion, Mexico,
Mexico. Cerro Tancitaro (3); Zacapu.

This member of the _Eumeces brevirostris_-group has been found only in pine or pine-fir forests at elevations from 1800 to 2700 meters. It probably ranges throughout the high mountains of the state north of the Tepalcatepec Valley; its apparent absence in other parts of the Cordillera Volcanica, other than on Cerro Tancitaro, is surprising. The species has been taken near Asuncion in the state of Mexico and at Lagunas de Zempoala in Morelos.

In this species the lateral pale yellow stripe, which is bordered below by dark brown, extends to the groin and onto the base of the tail. The dorsolateral stripe is separated from the copper-colored middorsum by a narrow brown stripe.

~Eumeces dugesi~ Thominot

_Eumeces Dugesii_ Thominot, Bull. Soc. Philom. Paris, ser.
7, 7:138, 1883.--Guanajuato. Type locality restricted to
Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor
(1950b:169).

Carapan (6); Cheran (5); Opopeo (2); 17 km. S of Patzcuaro
(3); San Jose de la Cumbre (2); Tancitaro (2);
Tangancicuaro; Uruapan; Zacapu.

Individuals of this species frequently have been found beneath rocks and logs in pine-oak, pine, or fir forests from elevations of 1550 to 1850 meters. To judge from specimens available, _E. dugesi_ probably is the most abundant and widespread species of skink in the state.

In this species the lateral yellow stripe is indistinct and is persistent only in the axilla; the dorsolateral stripes terminate anterior to the hind limbs and are not separated from the tan dorsum.

~Eumeces indubitus~ Taylor

_Eumeces indubitus_ Taylor, Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull., 21:257,
November 27, 1934.--Near Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.

Puerto Hondo.

The one specimen of this species from Michoacan was collected by Edward H. Taylor in pine forest at Puerto Hondo, near Zitacuaro, at an elevation of about 2750 meters (Taylor, 1935:466). The species is known from the high mountains of eastern Michoacan, western Mexico, and northern Morelos.

~Eumeces parvulus~ Taylor

_Eumeces parvulus_ Taylor, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington,
46:175, October 26, 1933.--Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico.

El Ticuiz; La Placita; Pomaro (2); San Pedro Naranjestila
(3).

Aside from the specimens reported by Peters (1954:17), one other specimen was obtained at El Ticuiz. It has 22 scale rows, 3 supraoculars in contact with the frontal, 2 postlabials, and a unicolored olive-tan dorsum. In life the anterior dorsolateral stripes were pale pinkish tan, the labials cream color, the throat white, and the tail pale blue. All specimens were found in semi-deciduous broad-leaf forest at elevations of less than 500 meters on the seaward slopes of the Sierra de Coalcoman.

~Ameiva undulata sinistra~ Smith and Laufe

_Ameiva undulata sinistra_ Smith and Laufe, Univ. Kansas
Sci. Bull., 31 (1):59, May 1, 1946.--Manzanillo, Colima,
Mexico.

Apatzingan (9); 19 km. S of Arteaga (3); Barranca de Bejuco
(2); Coahuayana (6); Coalcoman (3); El Ticuiz (10); La
Placita (2); Limoncito (3); Ostula (2); Playa Azul; Salitre
de Estopila; San Juan de Lima (2); San Pedro Naranjestila
(4).

Six males and six females from the Tepalcatepec Valley have more femoral pores than do 16 males and nine females from the coastal lowlands; the ranges and average number of femoral pores in the former are 40-50 (44.8) for males and 38-40 (38.6) for females; males from the coast have 34-44 (39.2), and females have 32-40 (36.2) femoral pores. In all specimens the number of lamellae beneath the fourth toe varies from 26 to 33 (29.7). In life juveniles have a pale olive-tan dorsum and a dorsolateral dark band, superimposed on which is a row of darker brown spots. The dorsolateral band is bordered below by a narrow cream-colored stripe. The tail is tan above and grayish white below; the belly is pale bluish white. Adult males are brilliantly colored in life. A male having a snout-vent length of 108 mm. had a rusty brown dorsum and bright blue bars on the flanks separated by dark brown interspaces. The side of the head was pale green, and the chin and throat were golden yellow. In some specimens the throat is orange. Juveniles and subadults have dark flecks on the brown or tan middorsal area, but these are absent in the largest males.

This species inhabits the heavily wooded areas in the lowlands to elevations of about 950 meters. In the Tepalcatepec Valley it has been found only in gallery forests along streams. In both the Tepalcatepec Valley and the coastal lowlands there is a noticeable absence of large adults in the dry season.

~Cnemidophorus calidipes~ Duellman

_Cnemidophorus calidipes_ Duellman, Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool.
Univ. Michigan, 574:1, December 23, 1955.--Capirio,
Michoacan, Mexico.

Apatzingan (56); 12-20 km. S of Apatzingan (5); 19 km. E of
Apatzingan (5); 25 km. S of Arteaga; Capirio (57); El
Espinal (13); Jazmin (9); 11 km. S of Lombardia; Nueva
Italia.

This small, distinctive species of the _sexlineatus_-group of _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)

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.

The supposed differences in scutellation between _L. bicolor_ and _L. 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.

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The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacán, MéxicoChapter IV: Part 4

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