122 BULLETIN 187, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Range. — Southern United States from central Texas to southern 

 California, south through central and western Mexico to Guatemala. 



Species. — Twelve species and subspecies are recognized, all oc- 

 curring in Mexico. 



KEY TO FORMS OF SALVADORA 



1. Lateral dark stripe involving first row of dorsal scales 2 



Lateral stripe not involving first row of dorsal scales on any part 



of body 3 



2. Stripes continued to occiput; ventrals immaculate, 196 to 208 in num- 



ber lemniscata 



Stripes interrupted anteriorly, cross bars on neck; spots on outer mar- 

 gins of anterior ventrals ; ventrals 182 to 192 in number mexicana 



3. Only one pair of dark stripes on body, these not involving third row of 



scales on any part of body 4 



Stripes involving third row of scales , 5 



4. Antepenultimate supralabial separated from postoculars ; maxillary teeth 



11-3; stripes involving third and fourth rows of scales, bifurcating 



posteriorly (dorsolateral and lateral), but not well defined 5 



Antepenultimate supralabial usually in contact with postoculars; maxil- 

 lary teeth usually 10-3 ; only dorsolateral stripes present, well defined, 

 not involving either third or fourth scale rows anteriorly grahamiae 



5. Dorsolateral dark stripes terminating on nape and not passing through 



temporal region 6 



Dorsolateral dark stripes diverging on neck and passing through tempo- 

 ral region to eye 8 



6. Lateral dark stripe fused with dorsolateral dark stripe on anterior half 



or third of body; rostral much enlarged; usually sixth labial enter- 

 ing orbit hexalepis virgultea 



Lateral dark stripe separate from dorsolateral dark stripe throughout 

 length of body, except sometimes on neck ; rostral little enlarged ; two 

 labials entering orbit 7 



7. Loreals 2; rostral with slightly free edges, anterior margin (seen from 



above) nearly straight; maxillary teeth 11-3; 9 supralabials bog-erti 



Loreal one; edges of rostral not free, its anterior margin (seen from 

 above) distinctly convex; maxillary teeth usually 9^3; usually eight 

 supralabials bairdii 



8. Lateral dark stripe fusing with dorsolateral dark stripes on neck 9 



Lateral dark stripe distinct and separate from dorsolateral throughout 



its length, generally disappearing free on neck, rarely discernible to 

 temporal region lineata 



9. Rostral strongly enlarged, with prominently free edges; nine supralabials 



or more ; antepenultimate labial generally in contact with postoculars. 11 

 Rostral moderately enlarged, with somewhat free edges; eight suprala- 

 bials ; antepenultimate labial usually separated from postoculars 10 



10. Anterior section of nasal in contact with second supralabial; ventrals 



182 or less intermedia intermedia 



Anterior section of nasal separated from second supralabial; ventrals 

 190 in single specimen intermedia richardi 



11. A distinct barred effect in pattern ; lateral stripe fused with dorsolateral 



over all of neck hexalepis hexalepis 



