REPTILES 203 



fi Small stout snakes with rostral upturned to a 



hook Ficimia. 



f> Large, extremely slim snakes, with very pointed 



head and rostral tapered to an acute point. . . Oxybelis. 



1. Carphophis Gervais. Small, non-poisonous snakes without a 

 distinct neck and with a pointed snout; no preocular; colors uniform: 

 2 species; terrestrial and burrowing. 



C. amcenus (Say). Ground snake (Fig. 116). Length 260 mm.; 

 tail 45 mm.; color brown above, pink below; eyes very 



small; ventrals about 128: Connecticut to Florida; west- ^^^^j 

 ward to Illinois; often common, but secretive and rarely ^-^^-^Si 

 seen. Fig. 116.— 



2. Abastor Gray. Large, brightly colored snakes Carphophis 



•' " ' o J amcenus {from 



with head not distinct from body; no preocular; ventrals Cope). 

 about 180; upper labials 7: i species. 



A. erythrogrammus (Daudin). Rainbow snake (Fig. 114). Length 

 1,200 mm.; tail 160 mm.; color blue-black, with 3 longitudinal red 

 stripes; abdomen red, with 2 rows of black blotches: Virginia to the 

 Gulf, in the coastal plain, in swampy, wooded places; burrowing; 

 common. 



3. Farancia Gray. Large, brightly colored sriakes with indistinct 

 head; no preocular; upper labials 7; ventrals about 172: i species. 



F. ahacura (Holbrook). Horn snake; mud snake. Length 1,250 

 mm.; tail 160 mm.; color blue-black, with a series of large red spots on 

 each side; abdomen red, blotched with black; a horny spine at the end 

 of the tail: Atlantic and Gulf States from Virginia to Louisiana, and 

 up the Mississippi Valley into Indiana; in wet woods, burrowing under 

 logs and in the sand; common in the south. 



4. Diadophis Baird & Girard. Ring-neck snakes. Small snakes 

 with a flattened head and a yellow ring around the neck: 4 species; 

 terrestrial, burrowing, feeding on earthworms, etc. 



Key to the Species of Diadophis 



ai Ventral color not covering any of the dorsal scale rows D. punctatus. 



3,2 Ventral color encroaching on the lower dorsal scale rows. 



bi In Texas to Arizona D. vegalis. 



hi On the Pacific slope D. amabilis. 



D. punctatus (L.). Length 330 mm. ; tail 70 mm. ; color dark gray or 

 black, with a yellow collar; belly orange, sometimes with black 

 spots; ventrals about 155: United States east of the Great Plains; 

 common. 



