Posted by:
Hotshot
at Wed Nov 23 09:09:33 2005 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Hotshot ]
because there is almost no real difference between the two externally. The coloration of the two is nearly identical, however sometimes you can tell by the color of the eyes. But this is not a 100% way to accurately ID between the two.
The Northern has dark eyes, and sometimes they will be yellowish brown. The Southern has a dark orange-red iris. But like I said this is not always true, as some individuals may have darker than normal eye coloration.
The only way to tell the two apart is the subtle difference in the hemipenes of the male. If you have a female, genetic testing is the only way to be certain. Now if you caught this animal where there are only Southerns or Northerns, then you should be able to figure out which one it is.
However, if this snake came from a natural intergradation zone, then it is highly possible that you have an intergrade of the two!!
Where did the snake come from??
Brian Baker -----
RATS
1.0 Corn snake "Warpath"(KY locale)
1.0 Black rat snake "Havok" (KY locale)
1.1 Black rat snakes "Reaper and Mystique" (MO locale)
1.0 Albino Black rat snake "Malakai" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Everglades rat snake "Deadpool" (Dwight Good stock)
0.1 Greenish rat snake "Rogue" (Dwight Good stock)
1.0 Great plains rat snake "Reign Fire" (TX locale)
1.0 Grey rat snake "Punisher" (White oak phase)(Dwight Good stock)
RACERS
1.0 Eastern Yellow Belly racer "Nightcrawler" (MO locale)
KINGS
1.1 California king snake "Bandit" & "Moonstar" (Coastal phase)
1.1 Prairie king snakes "Bishop" & "Askani" (KY locale)
0.1 Black king snake "Domino" (KY locale)
1.1 Desert Kingsnakes "Gambit" & "Psylocke"
0.1 Florida Kingsnake "Shard"
0.1 Speckled Kingsnake "Haven"
MILKS
1.0 Eastern/red Milk intergrade "Cable" (KY locale)
1.0 Eastern/Red Milk intergrade "Omega Red" (KY locale)
BULLS/GOPHERS/PINES
0.1 Sonoran Gopher "Husk"
1.0 Kankakee bull (Phil Peak stock)
Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian
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