The melanurus tend to harbor black to brown coloration covering approximately 1/3 of their posterior, while the unicolor tends to be more uniform in color, with only subtle changes of coloration posteriorly.
It is more difficult to distinguish the difference between the two during their first year, as both tend to harbor the black posterior.
Keep in mind; the two subs integrate where their respective ranges overlap, which may explain the high degree of variance found among the two ssp.
Also, you may wish to visit the galleries at www.indigosnakes.com for some visual comparisons, as there are excellent photos posted there of both melanurus and unicolor…

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

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