. Bulletin. Science; Natural history; Natural history. Ill III ll\ SOI lllll<\ < IIIIOKMI OF SCIENCES VOLUME 72 H I. ill ' 4°00 '^s '~^. U"00 ' 12°00 Figure 1. Distribution of four species of the colubrid genus Tantilla in Nicaragua. ing the middle of the middorsal row of scales and a pale cream longitudinal stripe on the adjacent halves of rows 3 and 4 on a brown ground color. Specimens from Nicaragua show trends away from this basic pattern in two directions; toward accentuation and toward diminution of the pattern. In some specimens (especially USNM 15205) the middorsal
. Bulletin. Science; Natural history; Natural history. Ill III ll\ SOI lllll<\ < IIIIOKMI OF SCIENCES VOLUME 72 H I. ill ' 4°00 '^s '~^. U"00 ' 12°00 Figure 1. Distribution of four species of the colubrid genus Tantilla in Nicaragua. ing the middle of the middorsal row of scales and a pale cream longitudinal stripe on the adjacent halves of rows 3 and 4 on a brown ground color. Specimens from Nicaragua show trends away from this basic pattern in two directions; toward accentuation and toward diminution of the pattern. In some specimens (especially USNM 15205) the middorsal stripe is relatively broad and well-defined, the lateral stripe is accentuated by an outline of dark brown pigment and the area below the pale lateral stripe appears striped as well because of concentration and intensification of dark pig- ment in the center of scale rows 1 and 2. On the other hand, there are specimens (, JV 620 and 753) in which the dark middorsal stripe is relatively narrow and less well-defined and the pale lateral stripe has almost blended in with the surrounding groundcolor (at least at midbody and beyond). The head pattern varies as well. Basically, the head pattern of T. armillata consists of a dark head cap extending posteriorly onto the nape a distance of from 4 to 6 scales posterior to the parietals. On the dorsum of the head there is a spot on the rostral and internasals, small spots at the junction of the supraocular, frontal, and parietal scales, spots at the postero- lateral edge of the parietals, and paravertebral spots at the posterodorsal edge of the nuchal band. On the side of the head there is a preocular and postocular spot, a dorsal extension of the pale gular coloration onto the last supralabial (in line with the parietal spots) and lateral spots at the posterolateral edge of the nuchal band (in line with the paravertebral spots). The principal variation on this theme involves the fusion of the dorsal and lateral postnuchal spots on
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