THE REPTILES OF OHIO 113 



row of small scales. Lower labials 12 or 13, rarely 14. Body stout; tail short 

 and stout and terminating in a jointed rattle. 



Dorsal scale rows somewhat variable, but e.xhibiting a maximum most 

 frequently of 25 (less often 26 or 27) and a minimum of 19 (occasionally 20, 

 and 17 in one specimen from Hardin County); the most common formula is 

 25-23-21-19. The scales are keeled except for the first two rows which are 

 smooth. Ventrals in males 132 to 142, average 135.4; in females 136 to 144, 

 average 140. Subcaudals undivided (except for a few just anterior to the 

 rattle), and in males from 26 to 32, average 28.4; in females 20 to 26, aver- 

 age 23.1. Anal plate single. 



Ground, color above, grey or brownish grey, conspicuously patterned with 

 numerous brownish black or black subovate markings. The largest of these 

 are arranged in a vertebral series of 21 to 35 (average 30.3) blotches, involv- 

 ing 3 to 6 scales longitudinally and 8 to 12 scales transversely. Below these 

 are a number of smaller blotches most frequently distributed so that one lies 

 directly below each one of the vertebral series and two are situated (one 

 above the other) in positions alternating with the dorsal row. The variations 

 are many, however, and the markings may occasionally be fused with one 

 another. 



The blotches are margined with black and the majority are still further 

 surrounded with a narrow edging of whitish or yellowish. A pair of elongate 

 blotches extend backward from the head and a broad dark band, edged nar- 

 rowly above and more widely below with whitish, extends backward from the 

 eye. The top of the head is largely dark but is crossed by a band of the 

 ground color from eye to eye, and has light markings on the more posterior 

 plates. Two divergent light lines extend downward from the pit to the mouth. 

 The tail is patterned with 4 to 7 dark crossbands. The belly is black, irregu- 

 larly marked with yellowish or whitish. Juveniles are similar but paler than 

 adults and with the future rattle represented by a homy "button." 



Melanistic specimens are found occasionally, which are uniformly jet black 

 both above and below, except for a few light areas on the throat, chin and 

 labials. On many such snakes, however, the pattern may be traced faintly 

 when the specimen is held in the proper light, and it usually may be made out, 

 even in the darkest individuals, if they have been preserved for any length of 

 time. 



The relative abundance of black and spotted specimens is of interest. Of 

 fourteen collected near Mt. Victory, Hardin County, all adults were black 

 and all juveniles spotted. Black females from this locality invariably gave 

 birth to normally patterned young, and, according to farmers, spotted adults 

 are rare or absent in the vicinity of Mt. Victory. In other localities black 

 specimens were not common. 



Specimens examined, 118; specimens preserved, 97; specimens studied, 62. 



Range. — Southern peninsula of Michigan, southern Ontario and western 

 New York, southwestward to eastern Kansas. The massasauga occurs over 

 much of glaciated Ohio (Map 27) . It is apparently rarer than formerly. 



