xu. lor,.-. NOTES ON VERTEBRATES FROM INDIANA // I // \ . ;,,;;, 



BASCANION CONSTRICTOR (Linnaeus). 

 BLUE RACER; BLACK SNAKE. 



Very abundant everywhere in the vicinity. This species has often 

 been called bad tempered and vicious, but thai is not my own ex- 

 perience with it. Usually these snakes will glide away with great 

 swiftness at the sound of approaching steps. However, I have ap 



proached them quietly and stroked the neck and back with my hand 

 without the reptile attempting either to escape or to bite. When 

 captured they become angry and will bite at anything within reach. 

 If kept in captivity they sometimes become docile and permit very 

 rough handling. Probably there are great individual differences in 

 this regard. 



The blue racer has a habit of rapidly vibrating its tail when 

 alarmed, and if a dry Leaf happens to be in the way the effect is 

 very much like the aoise of a rattlesnake. It is probable that the 

 motion of the tail i:- a sort of nervous impulse, t\\\v to excitment, and 

 i-- not. strictly speaking, instinctive nor an adaptive mimicry of the 

 venomous species. I have -ecu this vibratory motion when the snake 

 was in a dusty road where no noise was produced. 



CALLOPELTIS OBSOLETUS (Say). 

 ALLEGHENY BLACK SNAKE. 



Nearly as abundant as the preceding species. It i- a great destroyer 

 of birds, climbing trees, if necessary, to reach the eggs and young. 

 It also frequents barns, -tables, and poultry yards. Only the typical 

 form was seen about Mitchell. A more distinctly marked form. 

 apparently C. obsoletus confinis, was noted in Knox County about 

 .'>() mile- southv est. 



STORERIA OCCIPITO-MACULATA (Storer). 

 STORER SNAKE. 



Probably quite common. Two individuals were taken during the 

 year. A female in the university collection, taken at the University 

 Farm in August, L906, contains ten embryos. They are about 85 mm. 

 in length and resemble the mother in color. From their condition it 

 is evident that the species is viviparous and not ovoviviparous, as 

 Dr. ( ). P. Hay supposed.' 



The female mentioned above is darker than the other specimens 

 taken and has no distinct Longitudinal stripes, although the pale -pot 

 on the occipital region is present. Another of these snakes has stripes 

 so distinct a- to bear a slight resemblance to ;i garter snake. The 



■The Reptiles ami Batrachians of Indiana. L7th Rept Ind. State Geologist, 



p. ins. 



