blotches or cross bands; belly pale to dark, with or without dark 

 markings 218. 



218. With a white stripe through the loreal plate; with dark cross bands on 



the neck; Utah southwards and to Cal. 



Coluber flagellum frenatum (Stejneger) Red Racer or Red 

 Whip Snake 

 No white stripe through the loreal; hack banded or plain 219. 



219. Back with dark cross bands anteriorly one or two scales apart, or else 



unhanded and with the anterior part of the body darker; N. C. south' 

 ward, and westward to Kansas and Texas. 



Coluber jlagellum flagellum (Shaw) Coach'whip Snake 

 Back with dark cross bands anteriorly three or more scales apart, or else 

 unhanded and uniformly shaded throughout; Kansas to Colo., and 

 southwards 



Coluber flagellum testaceus Say Prairie Racer 

 (Masticophis flagellum flavigularis (Hallowell) ) 



220. With one internasal 221. 

 With two internasals 223. 



221. Nasals meeting anteriorly on the mid-line; back brown, with a yellowish 



stripe along each side; belly yellow; Fla. to Ga. 

 Liodytes alleni (Garman) Swamp Snake 

 Nasals not meeting; back black, with upright bars of red along the sides; 

 belly red, with black blotches 222. 



222. Usually with 53 or more pointed red markings along each side of body; 



Va. to Ala. and Fla. 



Farancia abacura abacura (Holbrook) Eastern Horn Snake, 

 Red-bellied Mud Snake 

 Usually with 52 or less rectangular red markings along each side; Texas 

 to western Fla. and northward to Mo. and Ind. 



Farancia abacura reinwardtii (Schlegel) Western Horn Snake, 

 Red-beUied Mud Snake 



223. Prefrontal plates bordering the eyes; back and sides with light and dark 



brown lengthwise stripes; belly plain reddish or irregularly spotted; 

 Texas 



Coniophanes imperialis imperialis (Baird) Black-banded Snake 

 Prefrontal plates each separated from the eye by a preocular plate; back 

 black, with three reddish stripes; belly red, usually with rows of dark 

 spots; Maryland to Fla. and Ala. 



Abastor erythrograrnmus (Latreille) Rainbow Snake 



KEY TO SOME OF THE COMMON GENERA OF SNAKES, 

 BASED MAINLY ON THE COLOR PATTERN 



1. Back mostly plain colored 2. 

 With stripes, bars, spots or blotches on the back or with a light band 



or ring around the neck 6. 



2. Color above green 



Opheodrys Green Snakes 

 Color above brownish, bluish or black 3. 



420 



