190. No cross bands; mid-dorsal area reddish 191. 

 With cross bands 192. 



191. With a distinct, red, mid'dorsal stripe; Cal. 



Sonora mmiata Imearis Stickel Rcd'Striped Ground Snake 

 Mid'dorsal stripe obscure; Idaho and Ariz. 



Sonora ynmiata mmmta Stickel Red Ground Snake 



192. With most of the cross bands forming rings around the body; Grand 



Canyon, Ariz. 



Sonora semiannulata gloydi Stickel Gloyd's Banded Ground 

 Snake 

 With cross bands only; Idaho southwards 



Sonora semiannulata semiannulata (B. 6? G.) Western Banded 

 Ground Snake 



193. With less than 135 ventral plates (before anus) 194. 

 With more than 139 ventral plates 195. 



194. With less than 60 pairs of subcaudal plates; back black, with a pale 



streak along the center of some of the scales; belly red, with black 

 cross bars; N. C. to Fla. 



Seminatrtx pygaea (Cope) Mud or Black Swamp Snake 

 With more than 60 subcaudals; reddish-brown above; clear yellow be' 

 low; upper lips yellow; N. C. to Fla. and Texas 



Rhadinaea fiavilata (Cope) Yellow-lipped Snake 



195. With less than 70 pairs of subcaudal plates; frontal plate not much 



longer than wide 196. 



Usually with more than 70 pairs of subcaudals; frontal plate distinctly 



longer than wide Whip Snakes and Racers 208. 



196. Reddish-brown above, usually with a faint lengthwise stripe along the 



fourth or fifth row of scales up on each side; plates of belly yellowish, 

 with dark front borders; West Coast 



Contm tenuis (B. & G.) Pacific Ground Snake 

 Dark colored above, with or without a yellow ring around the neck; belly 

 plain yellowish or with dark spots Ring-necked Snakes 197. 



197. Dark color of back not covering anteriorly the first row of scales up on 



each side 198. 



Dark color of back covering anteriorly the first row of scales up on each 



side 201. 



198. Chin unspotted; belly mostly without spots; Minn, to the Carolinas 



Diadophis punctatus edwardsii (Merrem) Edwards' Ring- 

 necked Snake 

 Chin and belly spotted 199. 



199. Spots on belly usually scattered; Minn, to Ind. and Texas 



Diadophis punctatus arnyi (Kennicott) Central Ring-neck 

 Snake 

 Spots on belly usually concentrated along the mid-ventral line 200. 



200. Spots on belly in a single row of large, dark semi-circles; southeastern 



states to Maryland 



417 



