Hurler — Herpetology of Missouri. \4^\ 



labial. Two lorals, the anterior one forming a suture with the fronto- 

 nasal. Two supra-nasals. A single internasal and two prefrontals. 

 Frontal and parietals are the largest of the head plates. One frontal. 

 Four supra-oculars, the three anterior in contact with the frontal. Be- 

 hind the frontal on the median line is the interparietal, in which a 

 faint whitish spot indicates the position of the "pineal eye." Nine 

 supra-labials, the eighth the largest; six only reaching to the orbit. 

 Six infra-labials, the sixth the largest. Ear-opening large, somewhat 

 elongated vertically, in young examples with a few projecting scales 

 at its anterior margin. Body moderately slender, tail long and tapering. 

 Scales smooth, about equal in size above and below, median row beneath 

 the tail largest and transversely elongate. Twenty-eight to thirty scales 

 in a transverse row around the body, midway between the fore and hind 

 legs. 



Color. — Young and middle aged individuals are nearly black above, 

 with five yellow lines running from head to middle of tail. The median 

 line bifurcates on top of the head. The extremity of the tail is often 

 bright blue. The abdomen is bluish white. As the animal grows older 

 the stripes become obscure, the general color fades to olive or brown- 

 ish, and the head in the males becomes bright red. 



In very old specimens the color of the back becomes nearly uniform 

 grayish brown. The cheeks are then swollen, and the males are red 

 on top of the head. Many of the old females retain the stripes on the 

 back but have no swollen cheeks. 



The different color phases were formerly described under three dif- 

 ferent names. 



Size. — An old male from Butler County, Mo., measured 106 mm. from 

 head to vent, and from vent to tip of tail 125 mm. Total length 231 mm. 



Habitat. — This species is found in the eastern part 

 of North America from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. 

 Missouri localities: St. Louis, Jefferson, Washington, 

 Iron, Stoddard, Butler, Shannon, Dunklin, Oregon, Ozark, 

 Stone, McDonald, Jackson, Miller, Crawford, St. Charles, 

 Pike, Montgomery, and Randolph Counties, 



Habits. — This sjDecies is found generally under rocks 

 and rotten logs. Wlien out of its retreat, the Scorpion 

 Lizard runs equally well on the ground or on trunks of 

 trees. When captured it tries to bite, but as far as I have 

 experienced does no harm. If grabbed by the tail, it turns 

 quickly, twisting it from the body and leaving it as a 

 wriggling souvenir, losing no time in finding a place of 



