Females have total lengths from 96 to 244 mm. (mean, 173.3; N = 79). One
female (KU 83480) measuring 244 mm. may be the longest specimen known
(Conant, 1958, reports the longest as 9-1/8 inches--approximately 232
mm.). Males have total lengths from 96 to 215 mm. (mean, 162.4; N =
109). Females have tail lengths from 16 to 50 mm. (mean, 34.6; N = 79),
and males have tail lengths from 21 to 53 mm. (mean, 37.8; N = 109).
The ratio of tail length to total length in females is from 0.17 to 0.22
(mean, 0.20; N = 79); in males it is from 0.21 to 0.27 (mean, 0.23; N =
109; Fig. 1). Juveniles (those less than 125 mm. in total length
according to Force, 1935: tables 1 and 2) have proportionally shorter
tails than do adults; the ratio of tail length divided by total length
is 0.17-0.21 (mean, 0.18; N = 14) in females and 0.21-0.23 (mean, 0.22;
N = 16) in males. Adult females (125 mm. or more in total length) have
ratios from 0.18 to 0.22 (mean, 0.20; N = 65) and adult males have
ratios from 0.21 to 0.27 (mean, 0.23; N = 93).
[Illustration: FIG. 1. Ratio of tail length to total length in females
and males of _T. gracilis_.]
Of the 246 specimens examined, 58 have incomplete tails. Of these 58
specimens, six had freshly broken tails, so we assume that 52 (21.1% of
the 246) have incomplete tails resulting from natural causes; the
remaining six specimens could have had their tails broken at or soon
after capture, assuming that none of the snakes was retained in
captivity for an extended period.
Supralabials
The supralabials are either six (usually) or seven on a side (Table 1).
When seven supralabials are present on either one or both sides, the
addition results from one of the following conditions: a) 5 is divided
to form 5 and 6 (N = 6); b) 2 and 3 form 2, 3, and 4 (N = 1); c) 5 and 6
form 5, 6, and 7 (N = 12); d) 4, 5, and 6 form 4, 5, 6, and 7 (N = 1);
e) 1 and 2 form 1, 2, and 3 (N = 1); f) 1, 2, and 3 form 1, 2, 3, and 4
(N = 1); g) 2 is fused with the nasal, and 3 and 4 are reduced to
granules (N = 1); h) type of addition unknown (N = 5).
TABLE 1. Variation in Number of Supralabials (N = 245) and
Infralabials (N = 246) of Tantilla gracilis.
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