. Bulletin. Natural history; Natural history. 252 Natural History Survey Bulletin Vol. 28, Art. 1 Individual variation in number of labials and oculars for a series of 19 specimens is slight: supralabials 6 + 6 in 84 per cent of specimens, 5 + 6 in 16 per cent; infralabials 7 + 7 in 95 per cent, 7 + 8 in 5 per cent; preoculars 1 + 1 in 95 per cent, 2 + 2 in 5 per cent. Coloration is more variable. Some adults retain the jet black markings of juve- niles; others have a faded appearance, with brown spots and a poorly defined middorsal gray stripe. The venter is bright brick-red or ora
. Bulletin. Natural history; Natural history. 252 Natural History Survey Bulletin Vol. 28, Art. 1 Individual variation in number of labials and oculars for a series of 19 specimens is slight: supralabials 6 + 6 in 84 per cent of specimens, 5 + 6 in 16 per cent; infralabials 7 + 7 in 95 per cent, 7 + 8 in 5 per cent; preoculars 1 + 1 in 95 per cent, 2 + 2 in 5 per cent. Coloration is more variable. Some adults retain the jet black markings of juve- niles; others have a faded appearance, with brown spots and a poorly defined middorsal gray stripe. The venter is bright brick-red or orange-red usually, but one adult taken near St. Joseph, Illinois, had an almost yel- low venter. This oddly colored specimen escaped before it could be preserved. Habits.—This small, innocuous water snake is the least aquatic of the Illinois spe- cies of Natrix. Specimens found during the day are almost invariably hiding beneath rocks, boards, or other objects. iV. kirtlandi flattens its body when disturbed and remains so until touched. Then it uncoils violently and seeks to escape by wriggling away. Cap- tives eat earthworms readily. Copulation in this species has been ob- served on May 10 and May 14. Conant. Fig. 235.—An adult Natrix kirtlandi from Coles County, Illinois. The groundcolor above is gray or brown with black spots or squares arranged in checkerboard fashion; below, red or orange bordered by a row of black spots along each side. Table 80.—Sexual variation in Illinois Natrix kirtlandi. Figures in parentheses are numbers of specimens. Males (7) Females (14) Characteristic Range Mean Range Mean Ventrals 127-134 58-62 129-137 49-57 Caudals Tail length as percentage of total length Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Illinois. Natu
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