126 Richard M. Blaney 



"well-centered" in L.g. sticticeps. All specimens that I examined from the 

 Outer Banks have the basal spotting characteristic of L.g. flondana 

 (Blaney 1977). Even the dorsal view of the head of the Outer Banks 

 specimen illustrated by Lazell and Musick (1973) shows this type of 

 spotting. 



Lazell and Musick (1973) stated that "the most striking feature of L. g. 

 sticticeps is the Pituophis-\ike head shape." They admitted difficulty in 

 quantifying this observation, and suggested that it is the rostral shape 

 and proportion that imparts this appearance. The rostral shape does dif- 

 fer from that found on most individuals of L.g. getulus from adjacent pop- 

 ulations, but this is a highly variable character. It is, however, the same 

 as in L. g. flondana. Lazell and Musick (1973) dismissed this similarity as 

 "coincidental, because the head shapes are not similar." The similarity in 

 rostral shape cannot arbitrarily be dismissed; head shapes are, indeed, 

 similar. Head shape varies individually in the Outer Banks population, in 

 L.g. getulus, and in L.g. flondana (Fig. 1). The comparative head 

 photographs provided by Lazell and Musick (1973) represent the ex- 

 tremes of this variation. They also stated that L.g. sticticeps "is propor- 

 tionately stouter and heavier than is nominate getulus, and this reflected in 

 average scale counts: dorsal rows and ventrals." Neither of these charac- 

 teristics reflects stoutness, a relative term at best. Stout specimens can be 

 found in L.g. getulus and L.g. flondana at the extremes of variation of both 

 characteristics (Blaney 1977). However, the number of dorsal scale rows 

 is significant. Lampropeltis g. getulus have a maximum of 21 dorsal scale 

 rows throughout its range; L.g. flondana has 23 dorsal scale rows (Blaney 

 1977). Another indication of L.g. flondana influence on the Outer Banks 

 population is that at least two specimens have more than 21 dorsal scale 

 rows. 



Lazel and Musick (1973) presented three lines of evidence that point 

 away from L.g. flondana influence in L.g. sticticeps. First, L.g. sticticeps has 

 fewer transverse light bars. I have shown geographic variation in the 

 number of dorsal bands (Blaney 1977). The Outer Banks population 

 averages 25.3 dorsal bands compared with 21.5 and 22.6 on the adjacent 

 mainland, and 23.8 to the north on the Virginia coast. Southern Florida 

 L.g. flondana average about 54; L.g. getulus in northern Florida have the 

 lowest average of 18, and 32 is the high in the northern extremes of the 

 range. Intergradc populations of L.g. getulus and L.g. flondana in central 

 Florida average in the 40s, but a disjunct L.g. flondana population in ex- 

 treme northeastern Florida averages 25. Clearly, the number of dorsal 

 bands does not exclude the possible influence of L.g. flondana. 



Their second argument is that "L.g. sticticeps strongly diverges from 

 floridana and nominate getulus in ventral counts. . ." However, analysis of 



