The Bull Snakes 



Yellow, with black or brown blotches, which are very 

 numerous and set closely ios,eiher. 



PACIFIC BULL SNAKE, P. catcnijer. 



Habitat. — Pacific Coast region. 

 Detailed descriptions of these species follow: 



THE PINE SNAKE OR BULL SNAKE; WHITE GOPHER 



SNAKE 

 Pituophis melanoleucus, (Daudin) 



Size large and form moderately stout. In shape, the head 

 of this snake resembles that of a turtle. It is small in proportion 

 to the reptile's size and sharply pointed at the snout, which por- 

 tion protrudes considerably over the lower jaw. The scales of 

 the back are keeled and lustreless; on the sides they show a 

 highly polished surface. The tail terminates in a hard spine; 

 this, on a large specimen, is three-eighths of an inch in length. 



Colouration. — Dull white on the back, becoming intensely 

 white on the sides. Down the back is a series of large, black 

 blotches, closer together and not sharply defined on the forward 

 portion of the body, but on the latter portion, some distance 

 apart and in vivid contrast with the pale ground-colour. There 

 is a row of smaller blotches on each side, and beneath this row 

 (on the edges of the abdominal plates), a row of large black spots. 

 The head is thickly dotted with black. The greater area of the 

 abdomen is immaculate, marble white. 



Variation. — The preceding description appeals to the typical 

 Pine Snake, inhabiting the dry, pine woods of the Atlantic Coast 

 and the Middle States. In South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, 

 these snakes altogether lack the striking black and white ap- 

 pearance of the typical form. The extreme Southern snake 

 shows blotches of dull, rusty brown, which are ill-defined. With 

 such specimens the black spots on the edges of the abdominal 

 plates are lacking. Intermediate forms are common, with which 

 the black blotches are present, but contain dull brown centres 

 — hence the Southern Pine Snake is not distinct enough from 

 the typical form to bear a varietal name. 



Dimensions. — The Pine Snake is one of the largest serpents 

 of the Eastern States. It attains a length of eight feet. Measure- 



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