Is there an easy way to distinguish a sonoran from a far west range bull? Is there a prefrontal count that can tell them apart?
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Bull vs Sonoran
theaspiration
Nov 06, 2006 01:28 PM
Replies (2)
reako45
Nov 07, 2006 07:12 PM
Good question. What locale was the snake collected from? People have probably got some better advice for you, but I'd probably find detailed species accounts of both (y'know, probably from a good field guide w/ scale count info & stuff like that), and see if you can determine whether you've got a Sonoran, a Bull or perhaps an integrade.
reako45
PeeBee
Nov 08, 2006 12:13 AM
The general rule is that bull snakes have a rostral scale that is higher than wide (like a pine snake). Sonorans have a triangular shaped rostral. The older field guides indicated that west TX snakes were considered bull snakes. The newer guides indicate that they sonorans. Personally, I think that there's a wide range of intergradation between the 2 subspecies in the Trans-pecos of west TX, with most of the snakes in this area leaning towards sonorans. Rostral width may vary from snake to snake in this area.
