Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What subspecies of ringneck snake is in the photo? (Assuming I am correct and this is a ringneck snake, and it's possible to ID it based on the photo given).

Found in the state of Veracruz between Xalapa and Actopan, close to a river under a stone in the shadow of mango tree(s). The eyes looked milky to me, so I assume it was about to shed the skin soon.

This isn't a ringneck, it is a Coffeesnake (genus Ninia). I don't remember the differences between N. sebae and N. diademata off the top of my head, but I believe your snake is N. sebae.

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Thank you very much Chris, as always I am extremely impressed with your knowledge about snakes and thanks for IDing this snake for me.

Can you recommend a good book on snakes in Mexico, specifically Veracruz?

Thank you very much Chris, as always I am extremely impressed with your knowledge about snakes and thanks for IDing this snake for me.

That is the result of my misspent youth, staring at photos in herp books!

Can you recommend a good book on snakes in Mexico, specifically Veracruz?

That's easy, there isn't one. There are several books on herps of the Yucatan which will have most of the Veracruz lowland species. Julian Lee's Herps of the Maya World is good and cheap in paperback form (under $20 I believe).
There used to be a checklist to herps of the Sierra Los Tuxtlas, but I don't know if it is available anymore.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Chris,

I would probably rate you as one of the most knowledgeable people on this site, or any other other herp site for that matter. Can you list the books that have contributed to your remarkable encyclopedic knowledge? I read most everything I come across and you seem to have forgotten more than I have ever learned. Not trying to inflate your ego, though it would be well deserved, but I'd genuinely like to know how you've garnered such knowledge?

Bryan
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"Nothing happens in contradiction to nature, only to what we know of it."

>>I would probably rate you as one of the most knowledgeable >>people on this site, or any other other herp site for that >>matter.

I doubt very seriously that is true. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people on these and other herp forums that I learn from almost every day.

I don't know that I have more information than anyone else, I just make it a point to learn things I am interested in. I like herps, so I spend much of my spare time learning about them. I like taking photographs, so I have read a lot about that as well.

A lot of what I have learned over the last 10 years or so about herps has been learned on the internet and conversing with other herpers.

Maybe I file away useless facts more than other people, but that's just my nature. I am an educator by profession, so I don't think there is such a thing as a useless piece of information. It's all part of the puzzle.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas