Hurter — Herpetology of Missouri. 177 



Nasals two. Loral present, anteorbital one, postorbltals two. Dorsal 

 scales with pores, keeled along the back, smooth on the sides (the 

 carinations sometimes obsolete), 25 to 29 rows. Ventrals rounded or 

 angulate laterally. Anal divided. Subcaudals in two rows. Tail mod- 

 erate or long. This genus includes the largest and most active snakes. 



Key to Missouri Species. 

 Scales in 2.5 rows (rarely 23 to 27), 9 to 11 feebly keeled. 



Scales in 27 rows (rarely 29), obsoletely keeled. Reddish with 

 brick-red blotches. guttatus. 



Scales in 27 rows (rarely 25-29), seven outer rows smooth. Black- 

 ish above with darker blotches. obsoletus. 



Scales in 27 rows, outer rows smooth. Yellowish to brown, with 

 black blotches. cotifinis. 



Scales in 27 rows. spiloides. 



Scales in 29 rows. Light gray with brown blotches. 



emoryi. 



63. Elaphe vulpinus Baird and Girard. Fox Snake. 



Coluber vulpinus, Scotophis vulpinus, ScotopMs guttatus var. vulpinus, 

 Elaphis guttatus var. vulpinus, Elaphis rubriceps. 

 Description. — Rostral broader than deep, the portion visible from 

 above measuring one-third its distance from the rostral. Internasals 

 broader than long, shorter than the prefrontals. Frontal as long as 

 broad, as long as its distance from the rostral, shorter than the parie- 

 tals. Nasals two, nostril between the two. Loral as long as deep. 

 One pre- and two post-oculars. Temporals 2-3. Eight upper labials, 

 third and fourth or fourth and fifth entering the eye; seventh the 

 largest. Five lower labials, sixth the largest. Five lower labials in 

 contact with the anterior chin shields, which are longer than the poste- 

 rior. Head large, distinguished from the neck. Eyes rather small. 

 Dorsal rows of scales 25 (rarely 23 to 27). Anteriorly the first three 

 or four rows are smooth, then they are obsoletely keeled, more so toward 

 the back, although everywhere moderately so. Body slender. Ventrals 

 200-234. Anal divided. Subcaudals 65 to 85 pairs. Ventrals and sub- 

 caudals less numerous than in any other of the genus Elaphe. 



Color. — Color above grayish yellow or brownish, with a dorsal series 

 of large chestnut brown blotches. Two lateral series of smaller 

 blotches, alternating with the dorsals. Head light brown, with indis- 

 tinct darker markings. Two dark stripes along the occiput and nape. 

 Beneath yellowish, alternating with square dark blotches. 



Size.— Total length 960 mm. Tail 200 mm. Sometimes they reach 

 a length of 1500 mm. and over. 



Habitat.— The Fox Snake is more of a northern species, 



