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I was herping this weekend in a state that has two parts to its name and the first initial of the first word is N. Before you guess, let me add that I needed my passport to get there. (I wonder what happened to the old lion?)

We were herping this hillside -

and I was looking among these crevices

to try and get close enough to some of these (S. cyanostictus) for a photo -

when I spotted something that looked like lizard feces on the edge of the rock. There were lots of lizards, so that didn't attract my attention too much, except this particular dropping was a bit too long and lizards don't generally leave long droppings.
So I climbed up and looked more closely and realized it was part of the body of dead snake. I climbed up and flipped it over and lo and behold - my first alterna from south of the border! It looked like one of this years babies that had run afoul of some sort of predator.

I guess it is better than having it turn out to be a partially eaten Hypsiglena?
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

were you well within what you considered to be alterna range?
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http://www.hcu-tx.org

It isn't really extra-limital, but we were at the very edge of the range. It is a significant record, according to those in the know.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

S.H.? or B?
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http://www.hcu-tx.org

Well, since I don't know what that means, I guess I don't know.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Hey Chris:

Can you shoot me an email? rwh13 AT csufresno.edu

Thanks.

Bob

Fascinating find! I have spent much time there in my younger days. Are you at liberty to say what general portion of the state (as in north, north-central, southwest, etc)? The specimen looks very blairi-ish. Thanks for sharing the photos.
--Henry W.

np

>>np

well you got a good laugh out of me with that one. I think it's "half" way there.
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http://www.hcu-tx.org

So where are the other NL snakes from? Almost that entire state looks like it should have some mexicana complex snake crawling around...

If you divide that state in four using Monterey as the both the North South and east West divider, then the NE quadrant doesn't seem too good with the exception of the Picachos (I know there is snake there but only native Mexicans have seen it - as far as I know). The other three quadrants have got it going on. The alterna (generally) radiate NW (towards Monclova) & SW (towards Saltillo) from Monterey. As far as I know Monterey is the SE limit for alterna in the eastern portion of the range. As you know they range further south in the extreme western portion of the range.

I didn't get the locality on "those other" recent finds but the animals that preceded those finds was as far as I know the furthest SW specimen of alterna known.
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http://www.hcu-tx.org

many as normal!

According to your description of the quadrants, it was.

It was approximately 40mi NW of Monterrey (~ 25mi SE of B). We also saw some great looking habitat in the Sierra de Las Mitras (?) just east of Saltillo.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

UANL 459 is from Mitras. I sent Mike a photo of it earlier today.
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http://www.hcu-tx.org

Excellent find! That is potentially an important record.

BH

that I took you away from the "bloody" hotel to that spot?? It is S. cyanostictus by the way. I need to talk to you about that lizard as well as the alterna...

I'm glad that I followed you up the hillside instead of stopping at my "rockpile" looking for "ugly, gray rattlesnakes"!

Happy herpin'...

MP

That's a neat experience, thanks for relating it. To bad it wasn't alive but it is better than finding a DOR, that's for sure.

alterna from that region.

They have smaller heads than typical alterna from the interior CD region, very thick postocular stripes, and from my gestalt perspective are an intermediate form / population. With a few exceptions they all look pretty much the same too. I don't think the mtDNA work (from what I've seen) is telling the whole story.

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http://www.hcu-tx.org

The pattern of that snake looks a lot like the leonis form of thayeri with alterna colors.

Tom

I was thinking more mex mex influence in that particular individual.
DB

I agree. Probably closer to mex mex. I have a thayeri with a pattern a lot like that... and a lot like a mex mex too. The bands are split with lighter middles and the bands only go half way down the sides of the snake.

Cool looking alterna!