2IO VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF THE UNITED STATES 



Rockies; very common towards the south; one of the largest American 

 snakes. 



P. catenijer (Blainville) . Length 1,400 mm.; tail 240 mm.; color 

 yellowish brown, with a series of about roc small square, reddish brown 

 or black dorsal spots and a series of more or less obscure spots on each 

 side; belly yellowish white with 2 series of spots: British Columbia to 

 California. Idaho, Utah and Nevada; common. 



15. Arizona Kennicott. Large snakes with a rostral plate recurved 

 and extending between the internasals; scales smooth; anal plate 

 single: 2 species. 



A. elegans Kenn. Length gi8 mm.; tail 145 mm.; color grayish 

 brown, crossed by 55 to 65 transverse brown spots in front of the anus; 

 belly whitish, unspotted; scales in 29 to 31 rows: along the Mexican 

 border; northward into Oklahoma and Arkansas. 



16. Rhadinaea Fitzinger. Small snakes with smooth scales in 17 

 rows; ventrals 125 ; upper labials 7 : many species in Mexico and Central 

 America, i in the United States. 



R. flavilata (Cope). Length 300 mm.; tail 90 mm.; color golden 

 brown; abdomen yellowish white: North Carolina to Florida; terrestrial. 



17. Lampropeltis Fitzinger. King-snakes. Non-poisonous, con- 

 strictor snakes with smooth scales in 19 to 27 rows; colors often bright, 

 arranged usually in transverse bands: about 12 species, all American, 

 9 in the United States; terrestrial, feeding on rodents and other small 

 animals, including snakes, being immune to the bites of poisonous ones. 



Key to the Species of Lampropeltis 



ai Ground color black, with usually narrow transverse color 



bands L. getuhis. 



3.2 Ground color pale, with large, red or brown blotches. 



bi Blotches wide and long, making up most of the color 



pattern L. triangidiim. 



h-2. Blotches small, oblong. 



Ci Scales in 2^ rows L. rliomhomaculaia. • 



C9 Scales in 25 rows L. calligaster. 



a.3 Color pattern contains color rings encircling body. 



bi Ground color red; rings black L. clapsoidcs. 



bo Ground color red; rings whitish L. pyrliomelaiia. 



hs Ground color white; rings black L. multicincta. 



L. gelulus (L.). Chain-snake (Fig. 113). Length 1,500 mm.; tail 

 200 mm.; greatest length 1,800 mm.; color black, with usually narrow 

 yellow or white dorsal bands which may fork on the sides and join one 

 another, giving the effect of a chain; belly black, blotched with white 



