THE REPTILES OF OHIO 239 



teristics of the two races, the following scheme was devised: A snake with the 

 sum of the ventrals and subcaudals equaHng or exceeding 176 and which also 

 iiad numerous crossbars, was considered to have two factors for wrightorum. 

 One with 175 or ff^wer scales and few or no crossbars was considered to have 

 two factors for dekayi. Snakes on which only one character could be deter- 

 mined (specimens with incomplete tails, for example) were classified as having 

 cne factor for the one subspecies or the other. A number of individuals 

 exhibited one of the characters of dekayi and one of wrightorum; such snakes 

 were considered as having one factor for each. 



There is .'o much variation in dorsal patterns among Ohio spec'mens that I 

 arbitrarily set the figure 10 for distinguishing the subspecific characters. 

 Snakes with 10 or more well-defined crossbars were credited with a wrightoruii 

 factor; others with a dckayi one. 



Among 46 specimens from northeastern Ohio (Ashtabula, Carroll, Cuya- 

 hoga, Geauga, Portage, Stark, Summit, and TrumibuU counties) there are 67 

 factors for dekayi and 17 for n'rightorum. The percentage is thus 79.8 in 

 favor of dekayi. However, factors are involved and not snakes! Among the 

 46 specimens, only 25 (54.3'^r) bear both characters of d'^kayi. Three snakes 

 have both the characters of wrightorum; all the others combine characters of 

 both races, or they either have incomplete tails or obscured patterns. One 

 of the snakes, from the former Pymatuning Swamp on the eastern border of 

 Ohio, has 181 scales beneath the body and almost as many crossbars on it3 

 back as the type specimen of wrightorum (Trapido, op. cit., figs. 38 and 44) . 



Among 59 specimens from northwestern Ohio (from Erie, Huron, Craw- 

 ford, and Marion counties westward to the Indiana line) there are 68 

 (61.3''r) factors for dekayi and 43 for wrightorum. But among these snakes 

 only 23 (39''r) exhibit both of the characters of dekayi; 11 have both those 

 of wrightorum. Among 13 specimens from Franklin County there ar' 4 with 

 both characters of dekayi and only 1 that shows both those of wrightorum. 

 From elsewhere in the state the available population samples are too small to 

 be significant. In Ohio, as a whole, only 43 .4*^ f of the 136 snakes studied 

 can be identified as dekayi and only 11.8'^f as wrightorum. 



If all specimens with incomplete tails, obscure patterns, or both are elimi- 

 nated, then there remain 109 snakes with characteristics distributed as follows: 

 59 (54. Kr) with two factors for dekayi; 16 (14.7%) with two factors for 

 wrightorum; and 34 (31.2''r) with one factor for each. Among the 109 snakes 

 the factor totals are 152 (69.7''r) for dekayi and 66 (30. 3*^^) for wright- 

 orum. 



From the above it is clear that Ohio is inhabited by a mixed population. 

 Som.e specimens are morphologically identifiable as dekayi and some as wright- 

 orum, but many are intermediate. In none of the samples tested is one race 

 in a majority of 3 to 1, the ratio that most herpetologists accept as the criter- 

 ion of subspecific distinctness. The influence of dekayi is dominant through- 

 out the state, although it is strongest in northeastern Ohio. But the charac- 

 teristics of wrightorum become proportionately more numerous in the western 

 counties. 



