226 VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF THE UNITED STATES 



N. s. j'asciata (L.). A series of lateral vertical, oblong red spots; 

 belly yellowish or reddish, more or less spotted: Atlantic coast from 

 Virginia southward; westward to Louisiana and up the Mississippi 

 Valley to Nebraska and Indiana. 



N . s. transversa (Hallowell). Dorsal bands broken into blotches the 

 entire length of body: Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. 



N. rhonibifera (Hallowell). Length i,ooo mm.; tail 240 mm.; color 

 brownish, with a series of about 50 dorsal rhomboidal blotches; scales in 

 27 rows: southern Indiana and Illinois to Louisiana and Texas. 



N. cyclopion (Dumeril & Bibron). Length 1,000 mm.; tail 260mm.; 

 color dark greenish with many dorsal transverse black bands; eye sur- 

 rounded by a ring of scales; scales in 29 rows: Florida to Louisiana and 

 up the Mississippi Valley to southern Illinois. 



N. taxispilota (Holbrook) Water-pilot. Length 1,300 mm.; tail 

 300 mm.; color rusty brown, with a series dark blotches on the back 

 alternating with a similar series on each side; scales 

 in 29 to 2)2> rows: Atlantic and Gulf States; north- 

 ward to North Carolina; the largest American water 



Fig. 122.— Storeria Snake. 



dekayi {from Cope). 26. Seminatrix Copc. Small snakes living in or 

 near the water, with smooth scales in 17 rows; scales 

 on the tail weakly keeled; upperlabials usually 8: i species. 



5. pygcea (Cope). Length 420 mm.; tail 70 mm.; color black, with a 

 faint pale line running along the center of each scale; belly red, crossed 

 on the body with narrow black bars; anal plate divided: Florida. 



27. Tropidoclonion Cope. Small snakes with keeled scales in 19 

 rows ; upper labials 6 ; ventrals about 140 : i species. 



T. lineatum (Hollowell). Length 360 mm.; tail 40 mm.; color 

 grayish brown, with a Hght middorsal stripe ; belly whitish, with 2 rows of 

 black spots: central States from Ohio to South Dakota; southward to 

 Texas ; common in wet places and swamps. 



28. Storeria Baird & Girard. Small snakes with head distinct from 

 the neck and with scales in 15 to 17 rows; ventrals about 135; loreal 

 plate absent: 4 species, all American and viviparous; 3 species in the 

 United States. 



S. dekayi (Holbrook). Dekay's snake; brown snake (Fig. 122). 

 Length 300 mm.; tail 60 mm.; color chestnut or grayish brown, with a 

 lighter middorsal stripe bordered with black dots; belly whitish; upper 

 labials 7; scales in 17 rows: eastern and central States; westward to 

 Kansas; southward into Mexico; terrestrial, secretive, living under 

 stones and logs, often in towns, feeding on insects, worms, etc. ; common. 



