244 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



ticularly to the western ribbon snake, as the lateral 

 stripes are paler than the central one. This species feeds 

 upon earthworms, frogs, toads and fishes. A fondness 

 for the latter prompts numerous snakes to lurk near 

 "water holes," into which they will glide to evade cap- 

 ture. 



Striped Snakes as a rule show considerable variation 

 in their pattern and hues. Two species are particularly 

 interesting in this direction. One is a western species 

 technically recognized as Eutcenia elegans. The habitat 

 covers most of the states lying west of the Mississippi 

 River. In many portions of the plains region — espe- 

 cially to the west — large areas are overrun with one of 

 the subspecies (varieties), vagrans, a grayish snake with 

 narrow yellow stripes that are broken by black spots 

 encroaching upon them from a tessellated pattern be- 

 tween the stripes. 



The most striking variety of E. elegans is found in 

 Texas and Arizona. This is Marcy's Garter Snake, E. 

 elegans marciana. The body hue is straw color with 

 three narrow yellow stripes ; at once pronounced are rows 

 of square black spots, arranged in "checkerboard" 

 fashion for the entire length of the body. A bright yel- 

 low crescent adorns each temple ; the abdomen is marble 

 white. Young examples are so boldly checkered they 

 have excited formidable appellations — such as checkered 

 "adders," spotted "vipers" and the like — very misleading 

 titles. 



The typical form of Eutcenia elegans is confined to the 

 Pacific Coast region. Some specimens have a lemon- 

 colored central stripe and red lateral stripes, making a 

 pretty combination of colors; others are dull olive with 

 a single, glaring stripe on the back; a few are uniform 

 black or olive without stripes or spots. On account of 



