To start with I'm not sure that they aren't all the same species-just different races. If you start checking photos for example you begin to see this is a Very variable snake. In Popes classic THE REPTILE WORLD he shows what he calls Cyclagras gigas which has a very reduced pattern anteriorly. A more typical specimen is in the new REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS OF THE AMAZON. Friegergs old book SNAKES OF SOUTH AMERICA shows photos of H.gigas and bicincus as well. from these photos H.bicincus apears to be lighter in shade and with a more uniform (rounded) blotch pattern than gigas. The blotch pattern also is more obscured in the same way as Pope's photo. However that one photo (bicincus) is the only one of that sbs in my library so it is not much to go on. Then too there is the possible confusion in the early days with another snake that hoods. Waglerophis-Opis or even Xenodon merremi, which could easily be confused with a Hydronastes juv. Ditmars...for example shows one such snake in his Snakes of the world. There have been so many different names for this snake I am inclined to just say that it is a "Lumper-Splitter" issue animal....Frank

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