Reptile & Amphibian Forums

When making a band count on snakes, do you include the tail?
Also, is their any consistentcy when breeding animals whith a similar count? thanks-smokey

>>When making a band count on snakes, do you include the tail?
>>Also, is their any consistentcy when breeding animals whith a similar count? thanks-smokey

For taxonomic purposes, you woudl normally count bands on body and tail separately. Whether there is consistency will depend on the species, and on how the banding is controlled genetically and developmentally.

Cheers,

Wolfgang
-----
WW Home

Thanks for the reply. After reading your last reply, i'll forever be more gratefull when i get a response!lol thanks-smokey

Wolfgang,

The bands of Bandy bandys Vermicella are counted for the whole snake as not just for the s.v.l. This along with the number of ventrals is the way to tell apart the sympatric species within the genus.
eg V. multifasciata and V. intermedia
Regards,

Scott Eipper

>>Wolfgang,
>>
>>The bands of Bandy bandys Vermicella are counted for the whole snake as not just for the s.v.l. This along with the number of ventrals is the way to tell apart the sympatric species within the genus.
>> eg V. multifasciata and V. intermedia
>>Regards,

Hi Scott,

If that works, then great.

However, since total bands = body bands tail bands, and since males of many snakes have relatively shorter bodies and longer tails than females, counting both separately preserves information that *may* be useful and *may* give better discrimination in *some* cases.

As to comparing it with the books, it's a matter of finding out what measure they use. Point is, you can calculate the total if you have both body and tail bands, but you can't do the reverse if you find you need them separately.

Cheers,

Wolfgang
-----
WW Home

?

Generally, the number of body rings is fairly consistent within a particular geographic area, suggesting genetic control of the number of rings. I have seen 2 animals found within a few meters of each other with a similar anomaly in the pattern (joining of two body rings at middorsum), again suggesting genetic control of the ring pattern. In general, breeding two animals of the same species from the same locality with similar number of rings should result in offsprings with similar number of body rings.

Thanks for the reply. I too have noticed several specemins within a specific local area that appear very similar compared to animals only a few miles away,i.e. some prarie kings in sothern AR and some scarlet kings on the panhandel. I assume that if it is indeed genetic one might be able to lower the band count to produce new 'morphs'.thanks again-smokey