Of the 245 specimens examined, 242 (98.8%) have one postocular on each
side. Postoculars are 2-1 in two specimens and 1-2 in one. In one
specimen the lower of the two postoculars on each side is very small,
being approximately 1/6 the diameter of the upper one (measured with an
ocular micrometer).
Temporals
Of the 245 specimens examined, 235 (95.9%) have 1 + 1 temporals on each
side. Four specimens exhibit addition of temporals: one specimen has two
secondary temporals on the left, and one has a tertiary temporal on the
left. Two specimens have partly healed head injuries that probably
caused atypical temporal conditions: one specimen has two primary
temporals on the left, and one has two secondary temporals on the left
and two upper and one lower secondary temporal on the right.
Six specimens exhibit reduction of temporals: one lacks a primary
temporal on the left ("temporal" is fused with sixth supralabial), two
lack secondary temporals on the right, and three lack secondary
temporals on the left. The right secondary "temporal" of one specimen is
separated from the supralabials by a posterior extension of the primary
temporal.
Of the 246 specimens examined, 200 (81.3%) have both primary temporals
in contact with their adjacent postoculars. Thirteen specimens (5.3%)
have only the left primary temporal in contact with the postocular and
eight (3.3%) have only the right primary temporal in contact with the
postocular. Twenty-five specimens (10.2%) have both primary temporals
separated from the postoculars. Separation of the primary temporal from
the postocular, whenever it occurs, results from contact of mutual
extensions from the adjacent parietal and supralabial (usually the
fifth).
Nasal
Of the 243 specimens examined, 237 (97.5%) have the nasal divided below
the naris on both sides. Three specimens have the nasal completely
divided (above and below the naris) on only the left side; one specimen
has a completely divided nasal on only the right side. A groove, but not
a complete division of the nasal, is present above the left naris of one
specimen. One specimen lacks the typical division below the naris on
both sides, but a complete suture is present posterior to the naris and
the resulting postnasal scales are, according to position, loreals.
Contact of prefrontal with supralabials
Of the 243 specimens examined, 147 (60.5%) have the prefrontal separated
from the labials on each side. Of the remaining 96 specimens, 53 (21.8%
of the 243) have the prefrontals in contact with the second labial on
each side; five other variations of this characteristic were observed
(Table 2).
TABLE 2. Variation in Contact of the Prefrontals and the Labials in 243
Specimens of Tantilla gracilis.
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