Posted by:
rearfang
at Mon Feb 2 11:58:16 2004 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by rearfang ]
That is a point of some debate-especially in South Florida. The two forms are so much alike (except color...sometimes)that it really can get to be a question of where you draw the line. The big problem is that like everything else down here, the combination of civilization spread and intergradiation between the two forms has muddied the issue.
The "True" deep orange Everglades was never a common snake compaired to the lighter orange form which is more normal. Most of the separation is based just on tongue color; which makes the process difficult as back in the 1970's I caught deep orange "everglades" with black tongues.
My personal opinion base on many years of local (South Florida)collecting is that the "Everglades is just a color morph of the yellow. In any case the term "Hybrid" does not apply as both snakes are Elaphe (Pantherophis) obsoleta.
Today the only justification for the separation is to give collectors and breeders a more exact separation of the two color forms, which selective breeding has enhanced.
Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."
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RE: Some questions on everglades & yellow rats - rearfang, Mon Feb 2 11:58:16 2004