A week ago Sunday, I spoke to the grad student that preformed a second and more comprehensive mtDNA study on the Rubber Boa. He indicated it would OK to reveal the major findings. I am throwing them out so perhaps others can hash over just what may have transpired with respect to the biogeographical history of the species and the taxonomic implications.

Along with incorporating the 38 samples used in the first mtDNA study published by Rodriguez-Robles, Stewart, and Papenfuss, Rick (who is Glenn Stewart's last grad student as Glenn is now retired) ran tests on 74 additional samples with much greater geographical representation that in the first study..

If I have my information correct, Rick ran the same type of mtDNA tests used by Javier Rodriguez-Robles. And as expected, he ended up finding two major clades, the Southern and Northern clades with the latter being composed of two major groupings, the Northwestern and Sierra Nevada subclades. However, there were three major new developments that emerged.

1) Beside occurring in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mts., a boa population of the Southern clade also occurs on the Southern Kern Plateau in southern Tulare County.
2) There is likely to be no break between the Sierra Nevada and Northwestern subclades as two specimens well south of the Mt. Lassen region from Butte County aligned with the Northwestern subclade.
3) Thirty-two samples with the same haplotype were dispersed from northern California to Oregon, Washington, B.C., Montana, Idaho, Utah, and I believe Nevada.

The ramifications of point #1 above are extensive and intriguing.

Richard F. Hoyer

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