Jeff Schofield recently wondered aloud why we see so few anomalies in the yellow pigmentation in L. triangulum. I submit that such anomalies are common, but that we fail to notice them. A "hypoxanthic" triangulum (anomalously little yellow) just has bands that look a little more red than orange (consider a MD "temporalis" v a NJ "temporalis"
, or bands that look a little more white than beige (consider a NC "temporalis" v a NJ "temporalis". A "hyperxanthic" triangulum (anomalously high yellow) has yellow bands rather than white bands (consider various populations of L. t. elapsoides). The variation is there -- it's just that yellow anomalies tend not to be detectable in the context of the normal colors of L. triangulum. Black obliterates yellow; gray substantially mutes yellow; red overwhelms yellow, or alters it beyond recognition.
A few years ago, some kid in Virginia caught a completely anerythristic and slightly hypomelanistic L. t. triangulum. The snake was light gray with phone-book-yellow blotches -- quite eye-catching. I saw the live snake but unfortunately I took no photos. I believe the snake eventually made its way to Japan.
- P
