62 BULLETIN 114, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



LAMPKOPELTIS GETULUS FLORIDANA Blanchard. 



KING SNAKE. 



Fig. 36. 



1894. Lampropeltis getulus (part) Loennbeeg, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 17, 

 no. 1003, p. 324. — Ophibolus getulus (part) Ditmars, Reptile Book, 1907, 

 p. 359. 



1904. Ophibolus getulus getulus Brown, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Philadelphia, 

 p. 472. 



1919. Lampropeltis getulus floridana Blanchard, Occ. Pap., Mus. Zool., Univ. 

 Mich., no. 70, May 5, p. 1, pi. 1, fig. 1 (type locality: Orange Hammock, 

 DeSoto County (northeast portion), Florida; U. S. Nat. Mus., no. 22368; 

 William Palmer, collector) . 



Description. — Characters in general like those of getulus. Ventrals, 

 210 to 225; caudals, 42 to 55; supralabials, usually 7, sometimes 8; 

 infralabials, 9 or 10; 1 preocular; 2 postoculars; temporals, 2 +3 +4; 

 posterior chin shields about equal in length to the anterior, parallel, 

 and sometimes separated by a scale; loreal rectangular, higher than 

 long or about as high as long (in one specimen fused with post- 

 nasal); scale rows 23 or 21, formulae, 23-21, 21-23-21-19, 21-19. 



In bodily proportions this form is closely similar to getulus; it 

 appears, however, to be somewhat stouter and to grow to a larger 

 size. The tail varies from 0.107 to 0.146 of the total length. The 

 largest specimen examined bore the label "Florida," and measured 

 1,753 mm. 



Pattern similar to getulus, except that the transverse light bands 

 on the back are about twice as many, varying as they do from 46 to 

 85, with an average of 66. In distinction from getulus, the forking 

 on the sides has usually disappeared, and the cross bands on the back 

 end abruptly at about the level of the seventh row of scales. Alter- 

 nating with the dorsal cross bands is a series of transversely elon- 

 gated light spots, about two scales wide, extending up from about 

 the second to the seventh row of scales. Alternating with these 

 latter is a series of light spots about two scales long which overlap 

 the ends of the ventrals and the first row or two of dorsal scales. 

 The scales of the dark bands are often sharply tipped with black. 

 Furthermore, in distinction from getulus, each scale of the black 

 areas has a development of white, beginning at its basal end and 

 spreading distally to cover one-half or three-quarters of its area. 

 This basal lightening of the dark scales may be so pronounced as to 

 greatly obscure the pattern of alternating transverse bands of white. 

 The belly is checked with black and white. The actual colors vary 

 from white to creamy white to yellow, and from black to yellowish 

 brown. 



The characters of the penis are as follows: strongly bifurcate, 

 the forks one-fifth the total length of the organ; sulcus single, ex- 



