Help needed: Christmas Mtn locality Pituophis - is it a bull or a sonoran gopher, or something in-between? Anyone keep them, and which do they resemble more?
thanks
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Christmas Mountain Pit question
simias
Sep 11, 2012 03:10 PM
Replies (2)
PeeBee
Sep 11, 2012 10:11 PM
According to the older field guides the Christmas Mts fell solidly within bull snake range and affinis were only found in the El Paso area. However, newer publications indicate that affinis ranges throughout all of Big Bend.
I think the Christmas Mountains are in an intergrade zone for bulls & sonoran gophers. Most of the animals I've seen from the bend tend towards affinis, but you can also find snakes there that have bull characteristics like a narrow rostral scale.
P
orchidspider
Sep 18, 2012 10:34 AM
I agree with you that they are an intergrade and have thought this way for a long time... they are not all sayi... but have too much affinis look to be just one subspecies... anyway.. they are an awsome looking intergrade and well worth keeping and breeding!
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