THE REPTILES OF OHIO 



21 



22. Uniform black or blackish brown above and uniform reddish below. — 



Red-Bellied Water Snake, Nalrix er\)throgastcr erythrogasler. 



Uniform grey, greenish or light brown above and uniform white, yellow or 

 orange below. — IsLAND Water Snake, Nalrix sipcdon insulariim* 



23. Anal plate divided 25. 



Anal plate single. — KiNG Snakes, Lampropcltts 24. 



24. A pattern of large reddish or brownish blotches on a lighter ground. — MiLK 



Snake, Lampropellis triangulum triangulum. 



Ground color blackish and crossed by rows of small yellow dots. — Black 

 King Snake, Lampropellis gelulus nigra. 



25. One or more preoculars present 27. 



No preocular; loreal in contact with the eye 26. 



26. Scale rows 13; 5 upper labials; 1 nasal. — Worm Snake, Carphophis 



amoerta helenae. 



Scale rows 15; 6 upper labials; 2 nasals. — Ground Snake, Virginia 

 valeriae valeriae. 



27. Two nasals 28. 



One nasal; the nostril in its center; uniform light green in color above. — 



Smooth Green Snake, Opheodr\)s vemalis. 



28. Dorsal scale rows 17 or 15 29. 



Dorsal scale rows 23 or more. — Rat Snakes. Elaphe 17. 



29. No neck ring; usually two anterior temporals 30. 



A light colored neck ring; one anterior temporal. — Ring-Necked Snake, 



Diadophis punclalus edteardsii. 



30. Black above, grey below; throat and chin whitish, heavily spotted with 



blackish. Subcaudals average 94. Juveniles patterned with dorsal saddles. 

 — Black Racer, Coluber conslriclor comlriclor. 

 Bluish, greenish or greyish above, yellowish below; throat and chin white, 

 unspotted. Subcaudals average 87. Juveniles patterned with dorsal saddles. 

 — Blue Racer, Coluber conslriclor ftavivenlris. 



31. Tail terminating in a rattle or a button 32. 



No rattle; tail tapering to a point. — Copperhead, Aglfislrodon mol^asen mol^asen. 



32. Plates on top of head large and arranged symmetrically. A pattern of large 



spots on the back with smaller alternating spots on the sides; some speci- 

 mens entirely black. — Massasauga, Sislrurus calenalus calenalus. 

 Top of head covered with small unsymmetrical scales. A pattern of transverse 

 zig-zag, or chevron-shaped bands. — Timber Rattlesnake, Crolalus 

 horridus horridus. 



33. Carapace with a leathery skin and with no horny plates. — Soft-Shelled 



Turtles, Am\ida 34. 



Carapace rigid and with horny plates 35. 



34. Carapace with tubercles or spines especially along the anterior margin; a 



longitudinal ridge projecting into each nostril from the septum. — Spiny 

 Soft-Shelled Turtle, Am\)da spinifera. 

 Carapace without tubercles or spines; no longitudinal ridge projecting into 

 the nostrils. — Brown Soft-Shelled Turtle, Am^da mulica. 



* The key will not function for all specimens of Nalrix sipcdon insularum. See 

 detailed discussion of this subspecies beginning on page 86. 



