. The snakes of the Philippine Islands. Snakes. OPHITES 121 small nasals, the anterior somewhat the larger; loreal large, sub- rectangular, forming its longest suture with prefrontal, not twice as long as wide; a large preocular extending from frontal to third labial; supraocular smaller than preocular but a little longer; 2 small postoculars sub- equal in size. Temporals , +4; 9 1 r2. Fig. 11 Ophites aulicus (Lin- n^us) ; after Boulenger ; a. head, dorsal view; b, head. lateral view. upper labials, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth largest; third, fourth, and fifth labials entering eye; 10 lo
. The snakes of the Philippine Islands. Snakes. OPHITES 121 small nasals, the anterior somewhat the larger; loreal large, sub- rectangular, forming its longest suture with prefrontal, not twice as long as wide; a large preocular extending from frontal to third labial; supraocular smaller than preocular but a little longer; 2 small postoculars sub- equal in size. Temporals , +4; 9 1 r2. Fig. 11 Ophites aulicus (Lin- n^us) ; after Boulenger ; a. head, dorsal view; b, head. lateral view. upper labials, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth largest; third, fourth, and fifth labials entering eye; 10 lower labials, sixth and fifth largest; mental small; 5 labials touch first chin shields (4 on right side) ; mental small, triangular; 2 pairs of chin shields, first pair longest, nearly equal in length to first labials; scales in 17 rows, smooth, outer row somewhat enlarged; eye small, pupil vertical; head distinct from body, very much flattened, with lips and temporal regions swollen; ventrals, 197; anal dou- ble; subcaudals, 74, double; tail slender, terminating in a long, sharp point. Colo7- in life.—Grayish slate to purplish brown above with an irregular network formed by darker scales bordered with white; on neck a dim lighter band forming a broad collar; fore part of head darker slate; lips and neck whitish, each scale with a darker area; lower surfaces immaculate cream white. Variation.—But little variation occurs in this species among specimens found in the various Philippine islands. The follow- ing diff'erences, however, are in evidence. Specimens from the Visayan islands of Masbate, Bantayan, and Negros have the tem- porals 1 + 2 for the most part instead of 2 + 3, which is the usual formula elsewhere. It will be noted from the table that there is a tendency to a reduction in the number of labials touching the anterior chin shields in Luzon specimens. The range of ventrals is 194 to 210; of subcaudals, 62 to 78. These counts are well within the limits set by Boule
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectsnakes, bookyear1922
