SNAKES OF THE GENUS PITUOPHIS 131 



at any time during the summer in the grass and woods. Numbers 

 used to be killed in the fort and surrounding buildings." 



Klauber (1932a, p. 79) reports collecting specimens in "grassy 

 plain," "grass and juniper," "grass, trees," "rocks, brush," "rocky 

 plain," and "plain scattered rocks." 



Taylor (1936, p. 493) found a specimen "on the morning of June 20 

 in the shade of a small tree in the arid region of Noria [Sonora, 

 Mexico]," 



The most complete account of the habits of this form is given by 

 Ruthven (1907, p. 583) as follows: 



This bull snake has a very wide range of habitat. At Alamogordo it was found 

 in the mesquite association on the plains, in the Creosote association on the 

 alluvial slope, and in the Pinon-Cedar zone on the mountain slope at an elevation 

 of 6,000 feet. It undoubtedly ranges higher than this, as Mr. Edwin Walters of 

 Alamogordo informed us that he had observed it in the Pine-Spruce forest of 

 the highest elevations. 



In spite of their large size these snakes are very docile. . . . 



The food consists for the most part of small mammals, although a considerable 

 number of birds are probably also taken. The specimen secured in the Pinon- 

 Cedar association had recently swallowed a young rabbit. ... A specimen kept 

 by myself for several months was fed on freshly killed sparrows. 



Some additional information is given in the discussion of the 

 Arizona specimens (p. 586) as follows: "At Tucson it occurs com- 

 monly on the Greasewood plains, and is doubtless also to be found on 

 the mountains, as Dr. Stejneger records a specimen that was taken 

 in the Huachuca Mountains at an elevation of 5,300 feet. As in the 

 case of many other snakes in this region, while probably not nocturnal 

 it is seldom seen during the hotter part of the day, being found prin- 

 cipally in the morning and evening. The large specimen (No. 1043) 

 which was taken about sundown on August 22, had recently swallowed 

 an adult ground squirrel." 



Evidence that the form is also found in a desert habitat is given 

 by Franklin (1914, p. 2), who lists it as one of the only three forms 

 of snakes seen on the Painted Desert of Arizona during the summer of 

 1913, and by Burt and Burt (1929b, p. 457), who say: "An adult 

 was stretched out in front of a hole beneath a soapweed bush in the 

 sandy desert." 



Ortenburger and Ortenburger (1927, p. 117) give the following 

 notes: "They were found only in the lower flats of the mesquite 

 association. In almost every case they were taken in the evening, 

 one as late as 10:30 P. M. . . ." 



Mosauer (1932, p. 15) reports finding specimens "in the southern 

 Guadalupe Mountains in the coniferous forest of the plateau 

 region ... at over 9,000 feet elevation" and "at the east base of the 

 southern Guadalupe Mountains." 



