I really like this discussion JB and I can tell that you are a guy that appreciates the variation that occurs in nature. I am far from an expert on this subject but I do appreciate the opinions and personal experiences that I have heard from you and others.

Speaking of darker colored mugitus. I have noted that those from south Ga and interior north Fl (the ANF for example) are generally dark in coloration compared to those in the peninsula. A friend of mine did find a specimen last year in the western panhandle (Okaloosa county) that was very light colored. I have seen photo's of a number of others from that locale that were much less attractive and were very dark.

I completely agree with you on the fact that the bulk of sayi's range is connected in some form or another. The example I cited from the Kankakee sand prairie however is not. This is a relic population of snakes that are not contiguous in any way with any population of sayi. Much the same can be said for the pine barrens melanoleucus.

Phil

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