22 2 VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF THE UNITED STATES 



L. t. amaura Cope. Scarlet king-snake. Ground color yellow; 

 bands bright red, nearly encircling the body and about 20 in number: 

 Mississippi to Texas. 



L. t. gentilis (B. & G.). Bands dull red with black borders and 25 to 

 40 in number: Texas to Dakota. 



L. rhombomaculata (Holbrook). Length 830 mm.; tail iii mm.; 

 color light brown, with a series of about 55 chestnut lenticular dorsal 

 blotches, alternating with a series of smaller blotches on each side; 

 belly yellowish, more or less blotched; scales in 21 rows: Maryland to 

 northern Florida. 



L. calligaster (Say). Length 1,150 mm.; tail 160 mm.; color gray or 

 light brown, with a series of about 60 squarish, brown black-bordered 

 blotches and 2 series of smaller blotches on each side; scales in 25 rows: 

 Indiana to Minnesota; southward to Texas. 



L. dapsoides (Holbrook). Scarlet snake. Length 430 mm.; tail 67 

 mm.; color bright red, with about 18 pairs of black rings encircling the 

 body, each pair enclosing a white ring; scales in 19 rows: southeastern 

 and Gulf States, from Maryland to Louisiana. 



L. pyromelana (Cope). Length 725 mm.; tail 102 mm.; color 

 yellowish or red, forming about 38 broad bands encircling the body 

 which are separated by as many narrow yellowish bands each bordered 

 with black; scales in 23 rows; labials 7: southern New Mexico to 

 California. 



L. muUicincta (Yarrow). Coral king-snake. Length 850 mm.; tail 

 147 mm.; color pattern formed of about 45 black rings encircling the 

 body, each ring enclosing some red, and separated by narrower whitish 

 rings; head black; scales usually in 23 rows: California, except in deserts. 



17. Stilosoma Brown. Slender snakes with smooth scales in 19 

 rows; head not distinct from the body; no loreals: i species. 



S. extenuatum Brown. Length 532 mm.; tail 50 mm.; color silver- 

 gray, with 61 dorsal dark brown spots on the body and 11 on the tail; 

 belly gray, blotched with black: north-central Florida. 



18. Contia Baird & Girard. Small snakes with smooth scales in 15 

 rows; ventrals about 150; upper labials 7: several species, i in the 

 United States. 



C. tenuis (B. & G.). Length 290 mm.; tail 60 mm.; color deep 

 chestnut brown, with 2 light longitudinal bands; yellow below with dark 

 bars: Puget Sound to southern California; rare. 



19. Sonora Baird & Girard. Small poisonous snakes with smooth 

 scales in 13 to 15 rows; rear maxillary teeth elongate and grooved; 

 ventrals about 160; upper labials 7: 4 species. 



