LAL 13. COLUBRIDZ 
Description.—Head wide, with flattened top and broad, 
rounded snout. Rostral plate large, high, hollowed below, 
and bounded behind by internasal, nasal and first labial 
plates. Plates on top of head, a pair of internasals, a pair 
of prefrontals, a frontal broad in front but pointed behind, 
a long supraocular on each side, and a pair of large parietals. 
Anterior and posterior nasal plates frequently united above 
or both above and below, nostril. Loreal small and nearly 
square. Normally one preocular, but two very rarely 
present. Postoculars two, rarely one. Temporals one 
followed by two, rarely 1+1. Seven (very rarely six) 
superior and seven inferior labials, sixth upper and fourth 
lower largest, third and fourth upper bordering eye, first 
pair of lower meeting on median line behind the small tri- 
angular mental. Genials in two pairs, anterior much larger 
than posterior. Scales on body smooth, in 15 rows. Anal 
plate divided. Gastrosteges varying in number from 147 
to 186. Urosteges in two series of from 27 to 57. Tail 
short, conical, ending in a sharply pointed plate. 
The color above is grayish or yellowish brown, usually 
very finely punctulated or reticulated with slate or black, 
with or without a light yellowish or brownish line along 
each side. The scales below these lines are sometimes spot- 
ted with black. In very young specimens a continuous black 
line along each side takes the place of these spots, while a 
similar line runs along the middle of the back. The sides of 
the head show these lateral black lines more or less distinctly. 
The tail is colored like the back, except that its upper surface 
is sometimes suffused with red. The lower surfaces are gray- 
ish or yellowish white, transversely barred with black on the 
anterior half of each gastrostege and (often) urostege. 
Length to anus__.--... 106 176 238 240 299 330 
Length of tail_..____._._. 22 27 57, 37 78 83 
