Posted by:
FR
at Mon Aug 15 09:09:40 2011 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by FR ]
The variable groundsnake, Sonora semiannulata, is also found in this area and its extremely variable. It occurs in a banded pattern that is very similar to Chilomeniscus. Sonora, also occur in a striped phase, often called the vermillion ground snake and a patternless phase.
While the variable groundsnake can be patterned and colored exactly like Chilomeniscus, its body and head shape are totally different. Its also a bit larger.
There is also the shovelnosed sandsnake, Chionactus occipalis, which occurs nearby, which again is similar, but this is a true sandsnake.
What I have is the Banded sand snake, Chilomeniscus cinctus. But oddly, they occur here in non sandy habitat, rocky hardpack soils. (Grismer et al. (2002 Herpetologica 58: 18-31) found Chilomeniscus cinctus, C. punctatissimus, and C. stramineus to represent morphotypes of a single species.)
What is very interesting is, they do "sand swim" like the shovelnose sand snake, chionactus occipalis. Both have a flat wedgeshaped nose.
There is very little pattern variation in Chilomeniscus, other then the amount of orange on the back.
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RE: they are not variable, confusion - FR, Mon Aug 15 09:09:40 2011