34. LAMPROPELTIS 



1 74. Lampropeltis catalinensis Van Denburgh & Slevin 



Santa Catalina Island Milk Snake 



Lampropeltis catalinensis Van Denburgh & Slevin, Proc. Cal. Acad. 

 Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. XI, 1921, p. 397 (type locality, Santa Catalina 

 Island, Gulf of California, Mexico). 



Description. — Similar in size and form to L. California^. 

 Top of head slightly flattened posteriorly, curving down- 

 ward to the broad rounded snout. Temporal regions rarely 

 if ever swollen. Rostral plate large, little broader than 

 high, hollowed below, and bounded behind by internasal, 

 anterior nasal, and first labial plates. Plates on top of head 

 arc a pair of internasals, a pair of prefrontals, a short, broad, 

 irregularly wedge-shaped frontal, supraocular of each side, 

 and a pair of large parietals. Anterior and posterior nasals 

 distinct. A small loreal. One preocular and two postoculars. 

 Temporals normally two followed by three. Eight superior 

 and nine inferior labials, seventh superior and fifth inferior 

 largest, fourth and fifth superior reaching eye, first pair of 

 inferior meeting on median line. Genials in two pairs, anter- 

 ior much larger than posterior. Scales smooth, thin, imbri- 

 cate, in 23 rows. Anal plate not divided. Gastrosteges 228. 

 Urosteges 63 5 in two series. 



The ground color above is dark purplish brown, similar 

 to that of some specimens of L. calif ornitp. There are no 

 transverse markings. The ground color forms a dark longi- 

 tudinal dorsal band about five scales wide extending from the 

 head to the end of the tail. Along the middorsal line, at 

 nearly regular intervals of three or four scales, are small 

 yellowish white spots on single scales. All of the lateral 

 scales are yellowish white with narrow purplish brown 

 borders. The head is dark purplish brown above and later- 

 ally with small yellowish white markings on the internasals, 

 prefrontals, temporals, oculars, loreals, nasals, rostral, and 



