Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all.
I am looking for information on reptiles and amphibians of the genera larea of mexico city, and I haven't had much luck. I found this site that has information on a book, but the book is for the species in the mountains bordering the federal district to the south. Two of my main questions are:
1) Are Drymarchon found near Mexico city?
2) Are Oxybelis found near Mexico city?

Here is the line-up for herps found in that book:
Ambystoma rivulare, Rana spectabilis, Hyla arenicolor, H. bistincta, Sceloporus anahuacus, S. palaciosi, S. s. scalaris, S. s. spinosus, Abronia deppei, Barisia rudicollis, Ramphotyphlops braminus, and Thamnophis c. cyrtopsis, Ambystoma al­tamiranoi, A. zempoalaense, Pseudoeurycea altamontana, P. belli, P. c. cephalica, P. leprosa, Chiropterotriton chirop­terus, Rana montezumae, Hyla eximia, H. plicata, Phryno­soma o. orbiculare, Sceloporus aeneus, S. bicanthalis, S. grammicus microlepidotus, S. m. mucronatus, S. t. torquatus, Barisia i. imbricata, Eumeces copei, Conopsis biserialis, C. n. nasus, Diadophis punctatus dugesi, Pituophis d. deppei, Rhadinaea laureata, Salvadora bairdi, Storeria storerioides, Thamnophis e. eques, T. m. melanogaster, T. scaliger, Toluca l. lineata, Crotalus molossus nigrescens, C. t. triseriatus and Sistrurus ravus.

I don't know about you, but to me there aren't many 'cool' snakes there. Most of the snakes belong to a genus that I'm familiar with from America.
I'm hoping that someone can reply to this and say, "The herps around Mexico city are way more foreign and interesting and those ones!", and provide me with a list. If you can, that would be really awesome.
Thanks!
PS I'm also looking for pictures of Diadophis punctatus dugesi and Storeria storerioides, just so I can know what they look like. Thanks!

James
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"The magical mystery tour is dying to take you away"Email & Messenger

Give me a break. I've caught both Drymarchon and Diadophis in Mexico and would trade a dozen of each for Sistrurus ravus or Crotalus triseriatus. If you want "cool" stuff, then go to the zoo. If you want to see herps, quit thinking about and go to Mexico and do it. There really are few places these where you can see so much neat stuff in a short period of time.

We obviously have different opinions as to what is 'cool'.
And I am probably moving to Mexico. I know that means I have a lot of time to learn, but when I get hooked on something I become totally obsessed, and it's hard for me to stop thinking about it. I'm living in the future, not the present, lol.
James
Oh by the way, I do go to the zoo pretty often but the only 'cool' animals there are the spider monkeys and tamarins. All they have herp-wise are African dwarf crocs, Malagasy giant hognose snakes, Dumerils boas, Malagasy tree boas, Day geckos, Chameleons, and rock pythons
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"The magical mystery tour is dying to take you away"Email & Messenger

Your zoo sounds like they need to branch out of that one continent... and not even a Bitis!
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

I don't think there are any herpetologists working there, so they are too scared to deal with venomous snakes (at least that's what I am guessing...) But the herps (except bearded dragons and tokay geckos) are part of the "wild Africa" exhibit, which is pretty cool, but it get's boring after a while. And the worst part is the zoo's polar bears died recently. It makes me so mad to see big animals in captivity, supposedly the polar bear enclosures in zoos are 1 MILLION times smaller then there territory in the wild. Grrrr....
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"The magical mystery tour is dying to take you away"Email & Messenger

1) Are Drymarchon found near Mexico city?

No. They are restricted to the coastal areas of Mexico off the plateau. You can get into the range of them within a half day drive of the city, but involves crossing the Sierras, whichever way you go.

2) Are Oxybelis found near Mexico city?

I believe these are also lowland snakes.

I don't know about you, but to me there aren't many 'cool' snakes there. Most of the snakes belong to a genus that I'm familiar with from America.

Most of the "cool" tropical snakes you are thinking of are restricted to the lowlands of coastal mexico. Mexico City is at the southern end of the Mexican Plateau, which is a high desert plateau which has the southern limits of the ranges of many N. American desert organisms. You could easily plan trips over to southern Veracruz to get into the tropical lowlands where the "cool" species occur. However, you will find that it is much easier to find snakes in the high desert than in the tropical lowlands.

What you have to do is appreciate the cool creatures that are found in the isolated mountain ranges around the city. Most of those species have very restricted ranges and cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The "cool" tropical species you are thinking of (like Drymarchon, Boa constrictors) are actually trash species that are very common throughout much of tropical america.

PS I'm also looking for pictures of Diadophis punctatus dugesi and Storeria storerioides, just so I can know what they look like.

I have never seen a Ringneck in Mexico, but I have caught a single specimen of Storeria storerioides (in Hidalgo). It was basically a large Brown Snake around 2 feet long. It looked like a really large Brown Snake.
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Chris Harrison

...he was beginning to realize he was the creature of a god that appreciated the discomfort of his worshippers - W. Somerset Maugham

looks just like any other ringneck.
I found one in durango that was greenish gray
on top, yellowish orange ring and belly anterior,
fading to red belly posterior. bout 20" long too.