88 Charles R. Blem and Leann B. Blem 



MATERIALS AND METHODS 



Data were taken from freshly collected specimens and preserved 

 material in the Virginia Commonwealth University herpetological col- 

 lection. Twenty-six male and forty-six female V. striatula are included. 

 Four of the females lacked tail tips, so sample sizes of subcaudal counts 

 and tail lengths are reduced accordingly. Thirteen male and seventeen 

 female V. valeriae are also included. Most specimens were collected in 

 eastern Henrico County, about 16 km east of Richmond. Two V. stria- 

 tula and three V. valeriae were obtained from sites in Chesterfield 

 County, approximately 20 km south of the Henrico locality. Snakes 

 were collected in the period 1974-1980, but 85% of the sample was 

 obtained during 1978-1980. The Henrico site is covered by a secondary 

 growth of loblolly pine, Pinus taeda, within which are piles of roofing, 

 discarded furniture, and tires. Besides Virginia, 14 other species of rep- 

 tiles have been collected at the site, including one turtle, Terrapene 

 carolina\ five lizards, Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus, Scincella later- 

 alis, Cnemidophorus sexlineatus, Eumeces fasciatus and Eumeces 

 inexpectatus; and eight other snakes, Storeria occipitomaculata, Store- 

 ria dekayi, Carphophis amoenus, Diadophis punctatus, Heterodon pla- 

 tyrhinos, Coluber constrictor, Elaphe obsoleta, and Agkistrodon con- 

 tortrix mokasen. Virginia striatula is the most common reptile at this 

 locality. 



Snout-vent and tail lengths were measured to the nearest millime- 

 ter. Ventral and subcaudal scales were counted in standard fashion (e.g. 

 see Schmidt and Davis 1941) and the style is comparable to that used by 

 Clark and Fleet (1976). Sex, number of ova/ embryos, and stomach con- 

 tents were determined by dissection. Testes and ova lengths were meas- 

 ured to the nearest millimeter. Embryos were removed and examined 

 microscopically to determine extent of development. Developmental 

 stages were assigned according to criteria in Zehr (1962). The 5% level 

 of significance (P<0.05) was used in all statistical tests. 



RESULTS 



MORPHOMETRICS 



There is no statistical intersexual difference in snout-vent lengths of 

 V. striatula (t = 1.5, df = 70; Table 1), but significant differences exist 

 between tail lengths (t = 2.6, df = 63), tail length/ snout- vent length ratios 

 (t = 6.9), ventral scale counts (t = 2.6) and subcaudal counts (t = 9.3). There 

 also is no statistical difference between snout-vent length of sexes of V. 

 valeriae (t = 0.7, df = 28; Table 2). However, statistical differences do exist 

 between tail lengths (t = 3.0, df = 28), tail length/ snout-vent length ratios 

 (t = 10.1), ventral scale counts (t = 5.7) and subcaudals (t = 13.3). 



