CharacteristicDiagnostic range forT. g. gracilisMean of the sample("T. g. hallowelli")from KansasNo. of subcaudalsmales40-5048.4 (N = 109)Tail L./ Total L.females.160-.200.20 (N = 79)Tail L./ Total L.males.200-.235.23 (N = 109)
Smith and Sanders (1952:218) pointed out an error in the range of subcaudals in femaleT. g. gracilisas stated in table 1 (p. 247) of Kirnet al.Weadd some additional corrections that should be made on the same page. In table two, column two ("Sex"), the words "male" and "female" are reversed for each characteristic. Also, in table two, column four ("Means from data of Force"), the means for caudals should be corrected from 33.61 to 43.61 in females and from 39.99 to 50.32 in males, as based on our recalculations from Force's data; we did not recalculate the means of Force's data for the other characteristics.
The discussion above demonstrates that the number of subcaudals and the ratio of tail length to total length are weak characteristics for diagnosingT. g. gracilisandT. g. hallowelli. The only remaining diagnostic characteristic given by Kirnet al.(1949) is the number of ventrals. Nevertheless, a step-cline in the number of ventrals, if one exists, is yet to be demonstrated. Therefore, we completely agree with Dowling (1957:32), who stated that "... the overlap in each character is so great that any subspecific differences appear to be as yet undefined. It is here suggested thatT. gracilisbe retained as binomial...."
Baird, S. F.andGirard, C.
1853. Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part I.—Serpents. Smithsonian Misc. Colls., 2:1-172.
1853. Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part I.—Serpents. Smithsonian Misc. Colls., 2:1-172.
Blanchard, F. N.
1938. Snakes of the genusTantillain the United States. Zool. Ser. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., 20(28):369-376.
1938. Snakes of the genusTantillain the United States. Zool. Ser. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., 20(28):369-376.
Conant, R.
1958. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 366 pp.
1958. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 366 pp.
Cope, E. D.
1900. The crocodilians, lizards, and snakes of North America. U. S. Nat. Mus. Rept. (1898), 153-1270.
1900. The crocodilians, lizards, and snakes of North America. U. S. Nat. Mus. Rept. (1898), 153-1270.
Dowling, H. G.
1951. A proposed standard system of counting ventrals in snakes. British J. Herpetology, 1(5):97-99.1957. A review of the amphibians and reptiles of Arkansas. Occas. Paps. Univ. Arkansas Mus., No. 3:1-51.
1951. A proposed standard system of counting ventrals in snakes. British J. Herpetology, 1(5):97-99.
1957. A review of the amphibians and reptiles of Arkansas. Occas. Paps. Univ. Arkansas Mus., No. 3:1-51.
Dunn, E. R.
1928. A tentative key and arrangement of the American genera of Colubridae. Bull. Antivenin Inst. Amer., 2 (147):18-24.
1928. A tentative key and arrangement of the American genera of Colubridae. Bull. Antivenin Inst. Amer., 2 (147):18-24.
Force, E. R.
1935. A local study of the opisthoglyph snakeTantilla gracilisBaird and Girard. Papers Michigan Acad. Sci., Arts and Letters, 20:645-659.
1935. A local study of the opisthoglyph snakeTantilla gracilisBaird and Girard. Papers Michigan Acad. Sci., Arts and Letters, 20:645-659.
Kirn, A. J.,Burger, W. L., andSmith, H. M.
1949. The subspecies ofTantilla gracilis. Amer. Midl. Nat., 42(1):238-251.
1949. The subspecies ofTantilla gracilis. Amer. Midl. Nat., 42(1):238-251.
Peters, J. A.
1960. The snakes of the subfamily Dipsadinae. Misc. Pubis. Mus. Zool., Univ. Michigan, No. 114:1-224.1964. Dictionary of herpetology. Hafner Publ. Co., New York, 392 pp.
1960. The snakes of the subfamily Dipsadinae. Misc. Pubis. Mus. Zool., Univ. Michigan, No. 114:1-224.
1964. Dictionary of herpetology. Hafner Publ. Co., New York, 392 pp.
Schmidt, K. P.andDavis, D. D.
1941. Field book of snakes. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 365 pp.
1941. Field book of snakes. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 365 pp.
Smith, H. M.andSanders, O.
1952. Distributional data on Texan amphibians and reptiles. Texas J. Sci., 4(2):204-219.
1952. Distributional data on Texan amphibians and reptiles. Texas J. Sci., 4(2):204-219.
Taylor, E. H.
1936. Notes and comments on certain American and Mexican snakes of the genusTantilla, with descriptions of new species. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 39:335-348.
1936. Notes and comments on certain American and Mexican snakes of the genusTantilla, with descriptions of new species. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 39:335-348.
Wright, A. H.andWright, A. A.
1957. Handbook of snakes. Comstock Publ. Assoc, Cornell, Vol. II, pp. 565-1105.
1957. Handbook of snakes. Comstock Publ. Assoc, Cornell, Vol. II, pp. 565-1105.
Department of Biology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87106, and Department of Zoology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, 85721.
Transmitted July 11, 1967.
Textual representation of complete dorsal scale formula onpage 622.156 + 7(2)13+ 7(4)14156 + 7(11)13,6 + 7(2)+7(5)6 + 7(11)6 = 6 + 7(17)1413,6 + 7(18)+7(25)14+ 7(26)15146 + 7(38)13+7(39)14,6 + 7(36)+7(42)1514,-6(45)+7(53)157 + 8(67)14+ 7(69)151415,6 + 7(90)+7(93)6 + 7(99)1415(122).+ 7(100)