Small, Miscellaneous Stnootb-scaled Serpents 



Silvery gray; 60 to 70 dark brown blotches with blackish 

 borders — interspaces mottled with red; abdomen 

 mottled with black. 



SHORT-TAILED SNAKE, S. extemiatum. 

 Distribution. — Florida. 

 ■\^Ventral plate divided. 



liody moderately slender; head fairly distinct; snout 

 blunt. A loreal plate. Length about 1 1 inches. 



Genus Rhadinea. 

 *Scales in 17 rows. 

 Uniform reddish-brown; abdomen and lips yellow. 



YELLOW LIPPED SNAKE, R. flavildta. 



Distribution. — North Carolina to Mississippi. 

 **Scales in 1 3 to 15 rows. 



Form rather stout; head not very distinct; a loreal 

 plate. Length 10 to 12 inches. Genus Contia. 



a. Scales in 13 rows. 



Pale brown above; abdomen and upper lips white. 

 Tail about one-fifth total length. 



Taylor's snake, C. taylori. 

 Distribution. — Duval Co., Texas. 



b. Scales in i s rows. 



Uniform reddish yellow or gray — scales tipped with light 

 brown. Tail about one-fourth total length. 



yellow ground snake, C. episcopa. 

 Distribution. — Texas; Northern Mexico. 

 Red or orange, with broad, black cross-bands; snout 

 red, remainder of head black. Abdomen white; tail 

 ringed with black. 



banded ground snake, C. episcopa variety iso^ona. 

 Distribution. — Texas to Utah; northern Mexico. 

 Milk-white, pink or yellow, with narrow black rings — 

 not always complete — about 5 scales apart; a black 

 crescent on head. 



ringed ground snake, C. occipitale. 

 Distribution. — Arizona. 

 Dark brown; a pale stripe on 4th row of scales, bor- 

 dered below with black dots. A black bar on each 

 temple. Abdomen yellow; plates edged with black. 

 Tail about one-eighth total length. 



pacific brown snake, C. mitis. 

 Distribution. — Pacific States. 



Detailed Descriptions 

 The Genus Hypsiglena: Several species are recognised; 

 one occurs in the United States and northern Mexico; the others 

 inhabit Mexico and Central America. These are stubby little 



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