162. Parietals shorter than the distance from the front of the frontal plate 



to the end of the snout; back with brown blotches on a lighter ground; 

 sides with small alternating blotches; belly yellow, with dark spots; 

 with less than 220 ventral plates 163, 



Parietal plates about as long as, or longer than, the distance from the 

 front of the frontal plate to the end of the snout; back striped, blotched 

 or plain; with more than 220 ventral plates 164. 



163. With about 40 (over 33) dark, mid-dorsal blotches three or four scales 



in length; S. D. to Ind. 



Elaphe vulpina vulpina (B. fe? G.) Western Fox Snake 

 Mid'dorsal blotches fewer (less than 39) and longer (four to six scales 

 long) ; Mich, and along the Lake Shores into N. Y. state 

 Elaphe vulpina gloydi Conant Eastern Fox Snake 



164. Back with four dark, lengthwise stripes in the adult; with or without 



dark blotches on the back; belly plain yellow or with obscure dark 

 markings; N. C. to Fla. and La. 



Elaphe quadrivittata (Holbrook) Striped Yellow Rat Snake 

 Back without stripes; with or without dark blotches; belly usually with 

 distinct dark markings 165. 



165. With dark brown blotches on the back, those toward the neck H'shaped; 



with one or two rows of smaller blotches along each side; head dark 

 spotted, usually with a dark band on each side from behind the eye to 

 the corner of the mouth; southeastern and south'central states 



Elaphe ohsoleta confinis (B. & G.) Gray Rat or Spotted Chicken 



Snake 



Blotches obscure or absent, except in the young; back almost uniformly 



dark in the adult; scales dark, often pale-edged, and with white or red 



skin between the scales, giving the appearance of blotches; usually with 



uniform coloring on top of the head; Wis. to Texas, and eastwards 



Elaphe ohsoleta ohsoleta (Say) Pilot Black Snake 



166. With 13 rows of scales around the body 167. 

 With 15 to 19 rows of scales around the body 172. 



167. With five upper labials on each side; back uniformly brown or black 



168. 



With seven upper labials on each side; back with cross bands or with a 



dark streak or spot on each scale 170. 



168. Back purplish-black; belly pinkish, with this color reaching up on each 



side to the third row of scales; Neb. to La. and Texas 



Carphophis amoena vermis (Kennicott) Black Worm Snake 

 Back brown; belly salmon, with this color not reaching up to the third 

 row of scales on each side 169. 



169. Internasals often single, reduced or absent; Ohio to Miss. 



Carphophis amoena helenae (Kennicott) Helen's Worm Snake 

 With two internasals; eastern coastal states 



Carphophis amoena amoena (Say) Brown Worm Snake 



414 



