COLOR PHASES OF THE PINE SNAKE 



One of the most popular members of the collection of living 

 snakes in the Museum is a Florida Pine Snake {Pituophis melano- 

 leucus), which has been in the collection since April, 1908, and 

 has made many friends by its gentleness and attractive coloration. 



In June, 1909, a specimen of this species was taken at Arch- 

 dale, a plantation on the Ashley River about twelve miles from 

 Charleston, by Messrs. Ned Hyer and B. and R. Chamberlain who 

 presented it to the Museum. In July, 1910, two additional speci- 

 mens were obtained from Walhalla, in the extreme northwestern 

 part of the state. All of these specimens are now living in the Mu- 

 seum and show in a very interesting fashion the color variations 

 of this species. The Florida specimen represents an extreme 

 light phase and the Archdale specimen an extreme dark phase, 

 while the Walhalla specimens are of an intermediate and more 

 typical coloration. These variations are of such interest that it 

 seems advisable to record them somewhat in detail, as follows. 



The Florida specimen is immaculate porcelain white below, 

 and dull white above, marked anteriorly with dull brown becom- 

 ing a rich chestnut posteriorly. The Walhalla specimens are creamy 

 white, strongly marked with dark brown above, and faintly be- 

 low. The Archdale specimen is porcelain white below, marked 

 and even banded with black, while above the black is continuous 

 anteriorly, spotted with white in the middle of the body, and 

 forming black bands alternating with white on the tail. 



The top of the head and sides of the jaws are immaculate in 

 the Florida specimen, while in the Walhalla specimens these parts 

 are faintly marked with brown. In the Archdale specimen the 

 top of the head is uniformily black and the sides of the jaws are 

 distinctly marked with vertical stripes of black. The color of 

 this specimen agrees closely with Holbrook's figure of a South 

 Carolina specimen, but the black markings are figured as conflu- 

 ent and are much less extensive anteriorly than in the present 

 specimen. 



P. M. Rea. 



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