>>My favorite was probably a Columbus, MO locality animal - I couldn't find a locality mate for him, so eventually parted with him.
>>
>>Did he have a lot of red between the scales? Seems like most I've seen pics of from the western localities have colorful interstitial skin-maybe from TX rat influence?

Yes, he had dark red interstitial skin and a lot of red on the ventrum - great looking animal. And yes - Texas rats and black rats from the western end of the range are more closely related than obsoletus from disjunct populations. According to some taxonomists, Texas rats and western black rats are one species (obsoletus) and there are two other species of black rats - spiloides and allegheniensis...
-----
-Toby Brock
Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Hide Replies ]