Part 11

=Coniophanes imperialis clavatus= (Peters)

Chinaja, 3.

All specimens were found on the forest floor by day. These small snakes are capable of rapid movement and quickly disappear in the litter on the ground. Two individuals evaded capture. The belly is creamy white anteriorly and vermillion red posteriorly.

=Dryadophis melanolomus laevis= (Fischer)

Chinaja, 3.

These snakes, locally known as sumbadora, were found on the forest floor; two others were seen, but escaped. The variation in coloration has been a source of confusion in this species in northern Central America (see Stuart, 1941:86). All of the present specimens are males: KU 55709 has 178 ventrals, 121 caudals, and a total length of 914 mm.; the dorsum is olive-tan with six darker cross-bars on the neck; the belly is creamy white. KU 58160 has 188 ventrals, 123 caudals, and a total length of 1365 mm.; the dorsum is uniform olive-brown, except that some dorsal scales at midbody have black anterior borders like D. melanolomus melanolomus has in the Yucatan Peninsula; the venter is pale yellow. KU 58158 has 179 ventrals, 122 caudals, and a total length of 723 mm.; the dorsum is rich chocolate brown with eight dark cross-bars on the neck; the belly is bright orange.

Stuart (1941a:87) stated that in life two distinct color phases were observed in specimens collected by him in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. One had an olive-brown dorsum and the other, a reddish orange dorsum. Stuart made no mention of variation in the color of the venter. Similar variation is known in D. melanolomus alternatus in Costa Rica, where some individuals have orange-red venters. This color phase has been recognized as a distinct species, Dryadophis sanguiventris, by Taylor (1954:722). Examination of 18 specimens from Costa Rica shows no differences in scutellation, nor geographic segregation of two populations. I am convinced that the red-bellied Dryadophis in Costa Rica, like those in Guatemala, represent a color phase of the subspecies inhabiting those areas and that Dryadophis sanguiventris Taylor is a synonym of Dryadophis melanolomus alternatus (Bocourt).

=Drymarchon corais melanurus= (Dumeril, Bibron and Dumeril)

15 km. NW of Chinaja, 1; Sayaxche, 1.

The specimen from Sayaxche was found at the edge of a clearing in the forest; that from 15 kilometers northwest of Chinaja was found on the forest floor coiled with a Boa constrictor imperator, which the Drymarchon apparently was trying to eat. The Drymarchon is a giant specimen having a total length of 2950 mm. (see Duellman, 1961:368). The Boa with which it was coiled has a total length of 1683 mm. I was attracted to the snakes by a loud thrashing noise. When I approached the writhing mass, the snakes separated, but I was able to see that the Drymarchon had its teeth firmly imbedded in the posterior part of the head of the Boa. From the Drymarchon I forced the regurgitation of a recently ingested Bothrops nummifer nummifer having a total length of 953 mm. These observations show that the snake-eating capabilities of Drymarchon can hardly be over-estimated.

In both Drymarchon the anterior one-half of the body is olive-tan, which changes to bluish black posteriorly. The local name is sumbadora.

=Drymobius margaritiferus margaritiferus= (Schlegel)

Chinaja, 3; Sayaxche, 1.

All individuals were obtained in clearings in the forest by day in the rainy season. Two individuals each contained a Similisca baudini and another contained a Bufo valliceps valliceps. Locally this snake is known by the appropriate name of ranera.

=Imantodes cenchoa leucomelas= Cope

Chinaja, 4.

With the exception of one that was found dead in camp, all individuals were taken from low vegetation by day. The dorsum is creamy tan with 28 to 35 (average 32) chocolate brown blotches, and the venter is ashy white with small brown flecks. Three males have 238 to 248 (average 244) ventrals and 148 to 154 (average 151) caudals; one female has 239 ventrals and 142 caudals. The largest specimen, a male, has a body length of 660 mm. and a total length of 943 mm.

=Lampropeltis doliata polyzona= Cope

Chinaja, 1.

One female (KU 57156) having 230 ventrals and 54 caudals was found on the forest floor by day. This individual has a black snout with a white bar across the nasals and prefrontals, a white spot in the middle of the frontal, and a white band across the temporals and parietals that is bordered posteriorly by a black band. There are 28 white and 28 red rings on the body. The tips of the red scales are darkened. The black rings between the white and red rings are not so expanded as to interrupt the white rings dorsally as in L. doliata abnorma as identified by Stuart (1948:70). Locally this snake, like all red, black, and white or yellow banded snakes, is called coral or coralillo.

=Leptodeira frenata malleisi= Dunn and Stuart

Toocog, 1.

This specimen, a male having 173 ventrals and 69 caudals, was found beneath the bark on a log in the forest. In life the dorsum was pinkish tan with 36 chocolate brown blotches on the body; the venter was rosy pink.

=Leptodeira septentrionalis polysticta= Guenther

Chinaja, 3; Toocog, 11.

If numbers of specimens are indicative of abundance, this is the most common snake in southern El Peten. All were found at night in the rainy season. At a pond in the forest at Toocog these snakes were observed on low vegetation, on the ground, and in the water. Evidently they congregate at breeding choruses of frogs. One Leptodeira contained a Smilisca baudini and another contained eggs of Phyllomedusa callidryas taylori. The natives call this snake nahuyaca.

=Leptophis ahaetulla praestans= (Cope)

13 km. NNW of Chinaja, 1; 20 km. NNW of Chinaja, 1.