XI B RARY OF THL U N I VERSITY Of ILLINOIS 580.5 FI v.3L Cop. 3 NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY NATURAL HISTORY SURVI IIPR'RY FIELDIANA • ZOOLOGY Published by CHICAGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Volume 31 FEBRUARY 20, 1947 No. 9 NOTES ON AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF MICHOACAN, MEXICO KARL P. SCHMIDT CHIEF CURATOR, DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY AND FREDERICK A. SHANNON UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS During the summers of 1938 to 1941, inclusive, Mr. Harry Hoogstraal, while a graduate student at the University of Illinois, led successive biological expeditions into Mexico, with the object of making general collections of plants and animals for study, and with the special purpose of studying the distribution of animal life in the different biotic provinces of Mexico. Through the kind assistance of Professor B. V. Hall, of the University of Illinois, Department of Zoology, the junior author was included as herpe- tologist in the expeditions of 1940 and 1941. In these years the considerable field party made its base at Tancitaro, a village on the north side of the Cerro de Tancitaro in Michoacan. This mountain is a somewhat isolated but massive outlier of the Mexican plateau, connected with it by ridges descend- ing to an altitude of about five thousand feet. On the south, Mount Tancitaro slopes directly to the hot and arid valley of the Rio Tepalcatepec, an affluent of the Rio Balsas. Mr. Hoogstraal's choice of this area for study had the obvious merit of making possible a description of the altitudinal zones ranging from the valley floor at 1,000 feet to the peak of Mount Tancitaro at nearly 12,000 feet. Such zonal studies of plant and animal life have been elaborately developed in the western United States, especially by Joseph Grinnell and his students, and for certain groups and limited regions in the American tropics by Frank M. Chapman and others. The radical differences discernible between the "life zones" of the tropical Andes and those of the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada of California suggest that important results may be obtained from ecological stud- ies in Mexico and Central America. Such studies, in mountain regions, No. 589 63 THE LIBRARY OF THE MAR 2 4 1947 Natuf,,H,stery surrey ,,,,rnCITV f\f tlllNOIS 64 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 31 inevitably fall into the life-zone pattern (see, for example, The Guatemalan salamanders of the genus Oedipus, by the senior author, 1936). With the assistance of Mr. Hoogstraal, the late William C. Leavenworth, botanist on the Michoacan expeditions, prepared an ecological study based on the accumulated collections and observa- 102 96 90 16 96 FIG. 8. Location of Tancitaro-Apatzingan area in Mexico. tions and entitled A preliminary study of the vegetation of the region between Cerro Tancitaro and the Rio Tepalcatepec, Michoacan, Mexico. Messrs. Emmet R. Blake and Harold Hanson have reported on the birds of the same transect (1942), with some description of the alti- tude zones established by studies of the vegetation. The greater part of the collections of amphibians and reptiles made in the Apatzingan-Tancitaro transect in 1940 and 1941 were made by the junior author, but his collecting was supplemented by specimens from every member of the two expedition parties. In addition to Messrs. Hoogstraal, Leavenworth, and Hanson, we are in- 5 SCHMIDT AND SHANNON: AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES 65 debted especially to Messrs. Ralph Haag, Reed Fautin, F. C. Wonder, Robert Traub, and F. Schacht, and Miss Catherine Hoogstraal. In the preparation of the following report the junior author has identified the majority of the species at the University of Illinois, with the aid of Dr. Hobart M. Smith in certain groups. He is indebted to Drs. V. E. Shelford and Carl G. Hartman, of the Depart- ment of Zoology, and to Dr. L. A. Adams, Curator of the Museum of Zoology, for many helpful suggestions. Dr. B. V. Hall has very generously permitted the free use of his fine library. Senor Carlos Ortiz Romero, a government engineer from Mexico City, not only shared his quarters at Hacienda California with the junior author but aided in making collections. His skill with the rifle made many additions to the collection. Senor Mendes, postmaster at Tancitaro, greatly facilitated work in a town unvisited by gringos for thirty years. Mr. Robert Urbano was of great help in sorting and labeling specimens. The senior author has revised the entire manuscript, and has consulted especially with Dr. Smith and Dr. Edward H. Taylor on various problems. Various officials of the Mexican government and of the United States foreign service were generous in their aid to the two expedi- tions. Dr. A. C. Baker, of the United States Department of Agri- culture, was especially helpful to us in making the official arrange- ments for the work. The localities mentioned are in the municipalities of Apatzingan and Tancitaro. Those of Apatzingan are Apatzingan (the town itself), El Capire, Acahuato, La Majada, and Hacienda California. In Tancitaro are Tancitaro (the town itself), Cerro Tancitaro, and El Soledad. AMPHIBIA CAUDATA Oedipus bellii Gray Spelerpes bellii Gray, Cat. Batr. Grad., p. 46, 1850. Oedipus belli Dunn, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 62, p. 471, 1918. Seventy-five specimens are from Tancitaro, Michoacan, all but one from the immediate vicinity of the village. This large series .agrees excellently with Dunn's description of this widespread species. These specimens, including many juveniles, were taken during the month of June, July, and August of 1940 and 1941. The smallest juvenile measures 32 mm., tail 10 mm.; this must be about the size 66 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 31 at hatching. Fruitless efforts were made to discover the eggs. One female contained eggs, some of which seemed to be mature. Some specimens were found in houses at the village. Others were found beneath stones, damp logs, and beneath unused blocks of adobe. One was discovered on the side of Mount Tancitaro at an altitude of 7,800 feet, under pine needles dry at the surface but wet beneath. SALIENTIA Bufo marinus Linnaeus Rana marina Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1, p. 211, 1758 — America. Bufo marinus Schneider, Hist. Amphib., pt. 1, pp. 219-222, 1799. Specimens of the marine toad obtained in Michoacan appear to have been lost. This toad is common around the homes and in the patios of Apatzingan. Bufo marmoreus Wiegmann Bufo marmoreus Wiegmann, Isis, 26, p. 661, 1833 — Vera Cruz, Mexico. Nine specimens were collected by the junior author at Apat- zingan, July 21 to August 20, 1941. Bufo monksiae Cope Bufo monksiae Cope, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., 18, p. 263, 1879 — Guanajuato, Mexico. Ten specimens were taken in the vicinity of Tancitaro. The supraciliary crests tend to converge anteriorly, while diminu- tive parietal crests converge posteriorly; postorbital crests short or absent; parotoid glands well-developed, bean-shaped; skin strongly tuberculate ; tympanum indistinct or invisible. The largest specimen has a head and body length of 86 mm.; the smallest, 22 mm. The ground color varies from gray, tinged with red, to deep rusty red. Darker dorsal markings usually black, sometimes absent; abdomen usually rather free from mottling, some specimens liberally mottled with dark gray; a whitish interorbital crossband more evident in juvenile specimens; faint interrupted vertebral stripes; limbs and feet banded in some specimens. We do not follow Kellogg (1932) in his reference of this wide- spread species to Bufo simus Schmidt of Panama, since there is no record for the species in the intervening territory and no doubt as to the provenience of Schmidt's types; combined with the fact that SCHMIDT AND SHANNON: AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES 67 these specimens were juvenile, it is reasonable to suppose that they represent a toad of lower Central America. Bufo intermedius, an Ecuadorean species, is similarly excluded. Hyla baudinii Dume'ril and Bibron Hyla baudinii Dumeril and Bibron, Erp6t. G6n., 8, pp. 564-565, 1841 — Mexico. Twenty-five specimens from the immediate vicinity of Apat- zingan, collected between July 21 and August 17, mostly at night, either on the edge of quiet pools or in the water. Many taken were in amplexus. The largest specimen measures 64 mm. from snout to vent. Vocal sacs are well developed. The ground color in this series of specimens varies from a light brown to a rather intense olive-green. Black dorsal blotches are usually present, but some blotches are gray with black edges and some a uniform grayish green. A dark band extends from the nostril, through the eye and tympanum, terminating in a somewhat wider black spot behind the shoulder. The interorbital region bears a transverse band, and there is a black spot beneath each eye. Most specimens have the legs strongly banded, and the arms less distinctly banded. Hyla smithii Boulenger Hyla nana Giinther, Biol. Centr.-Amer., Reptilia and Batrachia, p. 263, 1901 — Cuernavaca, Mexico. Hyla smithii Boulenger, Zool. Rec., 38, Rept. Batr., p. 33, 1902; Taylor, Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci., 39, pp. 357-359, pi. 2, 1936. Fifteen specimens (eleven males and four females) of the tiny Hyla smithii were taken at night, at La Majada, five miles north of Apatzingan, mostly on leaves of floating water-hyacinth. These specimens agree excellently with Taylor's description. The toes are all more than half webbed. The bright yellow back showed few signs of pigmentation in life (and at night), although alcoholic specimens have varying amounts of dorsal pigmentation. No specimens were seen during the day. Abdomen white, purple in a single specimen. Rana pipiens Schreber Rana pipiens Schreber, Naturf., 18, p. 185, pi. 4, 1782— New Jersey and New York. Nine leopard frogs were taken near Apatzingan, mostly at night and in almost every type of aquatic habitat. 68 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 31 We avoid the complicated problem of a partition of the Mexican forms of Rana pipiens into races. The senior author believes that berlandieri (type locality Brownsville, Texas) is the earliest available name for the continuous population of lowland eastern Mexico. Leptodactylus labialis Cope Cystignathus labialis Cope, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., 17, p. 90, 1877 — Mexico. Leptodactylus labialis Ives, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1891, p. 461, 1891. Twelve specimens from Apatzingan, eight males and four females. All but one were taken at night, commonly along the sides of roads, near pools of water. Most of them concealed themselves in cow tracks, and their calm, serene "oik" contrasted strangely with the noisy clatter of Hyla baudinii and Rana pipiens. Leptodactylus melanonotus Hallowell Cystignathus melanonotus Hallowell, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1860, p. 485, 1860— Nicaragua. Leptodactylus melanonotus Brocchi, Miss. Sci. Mex., Batr., p. 20, 1881. Sixty-three specimens were taken in the general vicinity of Apatzingan, during the last third of July and the first half of August. All were taken in treeless flat country. The largest specimen meas- ures 45 mm. In evidence by day as well as at night, they are found mostly in puddles or small streams choked with grass. Several specimens were found in deep cow-tracks. Tomodactylus angustidigitorum Taylor Tomodactylus angustidigitorum Taylor, Univ. Kans. Sci. Bull., 26, pp. 494- 496, pi. 55, 1940 — Quiroga, Michoacan. Six specimens were collected in 1940, and thirty in 1941, all from Tancitaro. Most of these were collected at night in the vegeta- tion of the lava rocks of the pedregal. They were traced by the infrequent call of "beep." Hoogstraal and Traub collected several specimens on the slopes of Mount Tancitaro at an altitude of 7,800 feet, in woodland and fields. They report that most specimens were found on rocks in fields, some in bushes, up to a height of five feet from the ground; a loud chorus (though weaker than that of lower altitudes) came from the edge of the woods near their camp; the chorus became weaker with increasing moonlight and was not heard on the night of the full moon, July 8; it was resumed a few nights later. A cluster of eggs and two specimens in amplexus were found beneath a rock. SCHMIDT AND SHANNON: AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES 69 The largest specimen measures 29 mm., slightly in excess of Taylor's maximum of 25 mm. Phyllomedusa dacnicolor Cope Phyllomedusa dacnicolor Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1864, p. 181, 1864 — near Colima. One specimen taken on the edge of a quiet stream at La Majada, near Apatzingan. REPTILIA TESTUDINATA Kinosternon cruentatum cruentatum Dume'ril Cinosternum cruentatum Dumeril, Cat. M£th. Kept., p. 16, 1851 — North America. Kinosternon cruentatum cruentatum Schmidt, Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., 22, p. 488, 1941. Six specimens taken at La Majada, near Apatzingan, August 6-18, 1941. All are from a well-shaded small stream in tangled low- land scrub-forest. Geoemyda rubida Cope Chelopus rubidus Cope, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., 11, p. 148, 1869— Tuchitan, Oaxaca. Geoemyda rubida Siebenrock, Zool. Jahrb., Suppl., 10, p. 500, 1909. Two specimens from near La Majada, collected August 6, 1941. Both specimens were collected on land near the shaded stream mentioned above. . SAURIA Phyllodactylus tuberculosus Wiegmann Phyllodactylus tuberculosus Wiegmann, Nova Acta Acad. Leop. Carol., 17, p. 241, pi. 18, fig. 2, 1834— California. Three specimens were taken from the country surrounding Apatzingan in August, 1940, one from El Capire, one from Hacienda California, and one from near the town itself. From July 23 to August 10, 1941, eight specimens were taken in Apatzingan. Individuals of this small nocturnal species secrete themselves in any damp, cool habitat. Nearly all the homes in Apatzingan serve as places of concealment. The lizards come out after dark, and search the adobe walls of the rooms for insects attracted by the lights. 70 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 31 The modified digits permit them to cling to the ceiling. The Mexi- cans believe this lizard to be even more deadly than the "Escor- piona," which term, in this area, applies usually to Gerrhonotus. Basiliscus vittatus Wiegmann Basiliscus vittatus Wiegmann, Isis, 21, p. 273, 1828 — Mexico. Four specimens from the municipality of Apatzingan, three from El Capire, and one from Hacienda California. These lizards were not seen far from water, or in any place lacking abundant vegetation. This versatile lizard can run along the ground like Crotaphytus with forelegs elevated and tail curved upward; it can use all four legs; it can hop, or dance gracefully to one side; and it can run on water. One specimen was seen to run more than one hundred feet on the surface of quiet water. The long whip-like tail was carried above the water surface (to stabilize the body), but occasionally touched the water, perhaps to provide more surface area on which to distribute weight, and the front legs were folded against the body. Anolis nebulosus Wiegmann Dactyloa nebulosus Wiegmann, Herp. Mex., p. 47, 1834 — Mexico. Anolis nebulosus Bocourt, Miss. Sci. Mex., Zool., 3, sec. 1, p. 68, pi. 15, fig. 3, 1873. Six specimens were taken several miles south of Tancitaro, during the summer of 1940; seven near Tancitaro, June 22 to June 29, 1941; and three near Apatzingan, between August 10 and 20, 1941. These lizards were not abundant. They were found in hilly .areas in grass, bushes, rocks, or stone fences. One was taken by a stream, and one was taken asleep, at night, draped over a limb with head and tail hanging down on either side. Apatzingan specimens were found on shrubs near water. Anolis nebulosus was only seen on clear days. Males extended their gular pouches only when sunning. With the possible exception of Masticophis lineatus, this lizard is the only species of reptile to be found in both Tancitaro and Apatzingan. ' ^ I Iguana iguana rhinolopha Wiegmann Iguana rhinolopha Wiegmann, Herp. Mex., p. 44, 1834 — Mexico. Iguana iguana rhinolopha Dunn, Copeia, 1934, p. 1, 1934. A large male specimen taken at Hacienda California measures an inch less than six feet. SCHMIDT AND SHANNON: AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES 71 These big green iguanas were seen only in the branches of large trees near rivers and streams, where they were decidedly difficult to see. When disturbed, some remained motionless while others dived noisily into the water. Ctenosaura pectinata Wiegmann Cyclura pectinata Wiegmann, Herp. Mex., p. 42, pi. 2, 1834 — Colima (restr. by Bailey, 1928). Ctenosaura pectinata Gray, Cat. Lizards Brit. Mus., p. 191, 1845. Three specimens from Hacienda California and two from near Apatzingan were taken in early August, 1940, and thirteen specimens were taken in late July and early August of 1941. The young conceal themselves in grass and other green vegeta- tion, and their vivid green coloration so closely matches that of their surroundings that it is practically impossible to pick out a motionless lizard. They are nearly two feet long before the normal gray and white coloration of the adults is attained. Specimens in the process of molting had patches of ragged skin hanging from their bodies, and the new epidermis was much lighter in color. Numerous adult spiny- tailed iguanas were seen where rock ledges, stone fences, or trees offered protection. One specimen was seen about eight feet above the ground, in the thorny branches of an acacia. No juvenile individuals (less than eighteen inches in length) were seen in this type of habitat. Specimens on stone fences disappeared quickly when approached, but when located in trees they showed great reluctance to move. If further disturbed, individuals in trees either dropped to the ground and scurried off or slid into a nearby hollow branch or tree trunk. When on branches overhanging water, the lizards dived into the water when disturbed. They were commonly observed during the hottest part of the day, from ten until four. Although iguanas are favored articles of food in many parts of Mexico, the Mexicans at Apatzingan will touch neither Ctenosaura nor Iguana except in time of famine. Uta gadovi Schmidt Uta gadovi Schmidt, Amer. Mus. Nov., 22, pp. 3-4, 1921 — Cofradia, Jalisco. Twelve specimens, six males and six females, of Uta gadovi are from Apatzingan, and two from Acahuato. All were taken in 1941. This small species has a1 single row of large supraoculars. The four mid-dorsal scale rows are enlarged and keeled. A dorso-lateral 72 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 31 row of tubercles is best developed posteriorly. There are no mid- dorsal granular rows. There are ten or eleven femoral pores on each side. The dorsal coloration of these inconspicuous lizards is brownish- gray, with fine, irregular, black-penciled marks. The abdomen is dark blue in the males and dirty gray in the females. Both sexes have an orange spot in the gular region. These lizards were seen only on hot days, lying on elevated objects such as fence posts, trunks and branches of acacia, and rocks. They showed little inclination to run, usually dodging around to the other side of their supporting object to hide. Sceloporus horridus oligoporus Cope Sceloporus oligoporus Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1864, pp. 177-178, 1864— Colima. Sceloporus horridus oligoporus Taylor, Univ. Kans. Sci. Bull., 24, p. 520, 1938. One specimen from Hacienda California and five from Apatzin- gan, taken in 1940; twenty-five specimens collected in the vicinity of Apatzingan, during July and August, 1941. This lizard was seldom found far from trees. It is adept at climbing, but usually conceals itself at the base of a tree, often in a burrow beneath the tree roots. Specimens were occasionally found on stone fences. Sceloporus melanorhinus Bocourt Sceloporus melanorhinus Bocourt, Ann. Sci. Nat., Zool., (6), 3, no. 12, pp. 2-4, 1876 — Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Ten specimens were collected from trees near Apatzingan. These lizards were usually seen hanging upside down from a hori- zontal limb, some twenty feet from the ground. Specimens from Apatzingan appear to be less distinctly marked than those described by Smith (1939, p. 84). Sceloporus microlepidotus microlepidotus Wiegmann Sceloporus microlepidotus Wiegmann, Herp. Mex., p. 51, 1834 — Mexico. Sceloporus microlepidotus microlepidotus Smith, Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., 26, p. 183, 1939. A large series of specimens was collected, 239 in 1940, and eleven in 1941, all from Tancitaro. This species of lizard was found almost everywhere: on stone walls, if the walls had moss on them; under bark; and sometimes SCHMIDT AND SHANNON: AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES 73 under stones, on cool days. When the days were warm, it was often seen sunning on stone walls, broad tree bases, fallen logs, isolated rocks, and the walls of village houses. It was taken from altitudes of 4,000 to 11,400 feet. These lizards are very nervous, bouncing up and down at any disturbance, and dashing for shelter upon further alarm. Sceloporus ferrariperezi ferrariperezi Cope Sceloporus ferrariperezi Cope, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., 22, p. 400, 1885 — Guana- juato. Sceloporus ferrariperezi ferrariperezi Smith, Univ. Kans. Sci. Bull., 24, p. 539, 1938. A large series of specimens was taken from Tancitaro, 201 in 1940 and three in 1941. Most of these specimens were found close to Tancitaro or in the village itself. They are most abundant on the numerous stone fences during the hottest part of the day. Bigger lizards show more caution than the smaller, and can be obtained only by careful stalking. They were seen also on the walls of houses, at the bases of large trees, and on fallen trees. One specimen was taken at an altitude of 9,000 feet on Cerro Tancitaro. The stomach of one specimen contained a small S. a. aeneus. Others contained dung beetles and grasshoppers, which seem to form a large part of the diet. Sceloporus aeneus aeneus Wiegmann Sceloporus aeneus Wiegmann, Isis, 21, p. 370, 1828 — Mexico. Sceloporus aeneus aeneus Smith, Occ. Papers Univ. Mich. Mus. Zool., 361, p. 6, 1937. Nine specimens were taken at Tancitaro in 1940, and forty the following summer. This oviparous species was nearly always taken in open fields. Sceloporus pyrocephalus Cope Sceloporus pyrocephalus Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1864, p. 197, 1864 — near Colima. During the first summer, two specimens were taken near Apat- zingan, and three were taken at Hacienda California. The second year yielded thirty-nine specimens from Apatzingan and two from Acahuato. Males and females seem to be equally prevalent. The best place to look for these lizards is on stone fences. The presence of a female is a sure sign that a male is in the immediate 74 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 31 vicinity. The lizards dash to cover at the slightest disturbance, but curiosity soon brings a cautious head into sight. They are quite indifferent to weather. Phrynosqma asio Cope Phrynosoma asio Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1864, p. 178, 1864— Colima. Two specimens collected in Apatzingan. This lizard was seen only during the hottest parts of the day. It is perhaps more abun- dant than the two specimens collected would indicate. Gerrhonotus imbricatus Wiegmann Gerrhonotus imbricatus Wiegmann, Isis, 21, p. 381, 1828 — Mexico. Seven of these lizards were collected around Tancitaro in 1940, and twenty-eight in 1941. Stomachs yielded snails, rose chafers, carabid beetles, grass- hoppers, chrysomelid larvae and adults, other lizards, and small snakes. The ground color is olive-brown, or brown, usually with greenish- white spots or dots. The under parts are greenish- white. Males often have dorsal black spots, tending to form transverse wavy bands. These lizards are absolutely fearless in captivity. It proved to be impossible to keep them with other species of reptiles, even small rattlesnakes. One alligator lizard was caught killing a Crotalus t. triseriatus by holding the snake's jaws shut with its own. Gerrhonotus ranges to the top of Mount Tancitaro (altitude 11,400 feet). It is seldom found in clearings, although it can be seen on vegetation-covered stone fences. Heloderma horridum Wiegmann Trachyderma horridum Wiegmann, Isis, 22, p. 421, 1829 — Mexico. Heloderma horridum Wiegmann, Isis, 22, p. 624, 1829. One specimen was brought in by a Mexican during the summer of 1940. It was said to have been taken in the Tierra Templada, near San Juan, Tancitaro, at an altitude of some 5,000 feet, which seems unlikely. The lizard was probably taken near Apatzingan. Ameiva undulata undulata Wiegmann Cnemidophorus undulatus Wiegmann, Herp. Mex., p. 27, 1834 — Mexico. Ameiva undulata undulata Stuart, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., 55, p. 145, 1942. SCHMIDT AND SHANNON: AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES 75 The nine specimens taken are all from La Majada in the munici- pality of Apatzingan. This lizard was seen only in rather thickly forested regions, where it runs on the ground in the quick nervous manner of Cnemidophorus. It does not conceal itself in one place, but escapes into the thick brush. Cnemidophorus deppii lineatissimus Cope Cnemidophorus lineatissimus Cope, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., 17, p. 94, 1877 — Colima. Cnemidophorus deppii lineatissimus Cope, Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc., 17, p. 31, 1892. During the summer of 1940, one specimen was taken twelve miles south of Tancitaro, seven from Apatzingan, two from Hacienda California, and three from El Capire. In 1941, sixty-five specimens were collected at Apatzingan and one specimen at Acahuato. This graceful lizard is ubiquitous on the hot plains surrounding Apatzingan, and is common where the soil permits luxuriant growth of grass. In the latter habitat the lizards can be seen only on the narrow footpaths; they run along in front of the observer, then dive into the grass. On days even slightly cloudy it is practically impos- sible to find a single specimen. Cnemidophorus gularis Baird and Girard Cnemidophorus gularis Baird and Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 6, p. 128, 1852 — Indianola and Rio Grande del Norte, Texas. Four specimens from Apatzingan were collected in 1940 and 126 in 1941; two were taken at Acahuato and one beside the railroad, twenty kilometers south of Apatzingan, all in 1941. This lizard is closely associated with deppii, and if one species is found, the other is sure to be at hand. They do not come out until mid-morning, when the sun is well up, and few are to be found after five o'clock. They are not to be seen in mid-day, but come out again in the afternoon, the majority of individuals retiring again by five o'clock. The identification of this form as "gularis" is provisional, as it is evident that numerous valid geographic races of this species were lumped together by Burt (1931; see Schmidt and Smith, 1944, p. 86). Eumeces copei Taylor Eumeces copei Taylor, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., 46, p. 133, 1933 — Asuncion, Mexico. 76 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 31 Three specimens were taken under bits of bark at an altitude of 6,000 feet on Mount Tancitaro. Eumeces dugesii Thominot Eumeces dugesii Thominot, Bull. Soc. Phil. Paris, (7), 7, p. 138, 1883— Guana- juato. Two specimens were collected in 1941, in El Soledad, in the municipality of Tancitaro. SERPENTES Constrictor constrictor imperator Daudin Boa imperator Daudin, Hist. Nat. Kept., 5, p. 150, 1803 — Colombian Choco. Constrictor constrictor imperator Ruthven, Zool. Jahrb., Syst., 32, p. 323, 1912. Two specimens were taken at La Majada, Apatzingan. Both are males. Scale rows 57-70-35 and 60-67-37; ventrals 237 and 236; caudals 52 and 58; total lengths 1,165 and 485 mm.; tail lengths 112 and 59 mm. Loxocemus sumichrasti Bocourt Loxocemus sumichrasti Bocourt, Journ. Zool., 5, p. 344, 1876 — Tehuantepec. One specimen was taken at Hacienda California, Apatzingan, on August 9, 1940. Another from near Apatzingan was brought in on August 10, 1941. The first specimen of this relatively rare python was taken at dusk, crawling along the ground in semi-desert terrain. These specimens, a male and a female, have respectively the following scale counts: scale rows 33-33-25, 32-33-27; ventrals 253, 247; caudals 45, 43; supralabials 9, 9; infralabials 10, 11; preoculars 1 in both; postoculars 4-5 and 3; total length 538, 1,097; tail length 59, 100. The nasals are small, weak, and imperfectly separated from the first labial. The prefrontals are in contact with three labials; they are considerably larger than the internasals, and some- what smaller than the frontals. Parietals small, separated by an occipital shield. Two rows of subcaudals, feebly keeled. The eyes not large but prominent. Immaculate brown above, pale brown ventrally. Storeria storerioides Cope Tropidoclonium storerioides Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1865, p. 190, 1865 — Mexican plateau between the eastern range and the Valley of Mexico. Storeria storerioides Garman, N. Amer. Kept., p. 29, 1883. SCHMIDT AND SHANNON: AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES 77 Six of these snakes were taken at Tancitaro in 1940 and five in 1941. They were most often found under rocks, near water. The color is olive-brown above with about fifty light-edged, black, transverse cross-bars. These alternate with shorter ones on the side, often joining ends to give a chain-like effect. The abdomen is peppered with black dots. The dorsal pattern may be very indistinct. No. and sex of specimens Extremes Average Ventrals / z