============================================================== | | Neck | Mid-body | Anterior to anus| | |--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------| | Number | Number | Per- | Number | Per- | Number | Per- | | of | of |centage | of |centage | of |centage | | scales |indivi- | |indivi- | |indivi- | | |per row | duals | | duals | | duals | | |--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------| | 29 | 1 | 1.2 | ... | ... | ... | ... | | 28 | 3 | 3.7 | ... | ... | ... | ... | | 27 | 52 | 64.2 | ... | ... | ... | ... | | 26 | 16 | 18.0 | 2 | 2.5 | ... | ... | | 25 | 8 | 9.9 | 67 | 82.7 | ... | ... | | 24 | 1 | 1.2 | 4 | 4.9 | ... | ... | | 23 | ... | ... | 8 | 9.9 | 4 | 4.9 | | 22 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 4 | 4.9 | | 21 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 68 | 84.0 | | 20 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 5 | 6.2 | -------------------------------------------------------------- The number of scale rows on the neck, at mid-body, and just anterior to the anus is relatively constant at 27-25-21, respectively; but some individual variation is evident (Table 4). Since the rows are diagonally arranged, it is necessary in counting scales to proceed either anteriorly or posteriorly across the back; or the row may be counted in either direction up to the center of the back and then reversed on the other side of the snake. In order to count the scale rows in a position where no scale reduction or addition was occurring and to avoid as much error as possible, I counted from anterior to center and back on the neck, in any direction at mid-body, and from posterior to center and back near the anus. Because females generally are the larger in circumference posteriorly, they could have more scale rows than males just anterior to the anus. The few snakes having more than 21 scale rows in the posterior region offer no conclusive evidence as to tendencies, but in both instances in which this occurred the females outnumbered the males three to one. An odd, rather than an even, number of scale rows occurs on most of the length of the snakes examined, because there is a mid-dorsal row and scale rows tend to be lost on both sides at about the same level. An example of scale reduction of one snake was as follows: 6+7 (13) 6+7 (96) 27 -------- 25 -------- 24 -------- 23 --------- 22 --------- 5+6 (13) 5+6 (90) 7+8 (111) 7+8 (114) 6+7 (122) +7, -5 (125) 23 -------- 22 -------- 23 --------- 21 -------- 22 ------------ -6 (118) +6 (119) 6+7 (121) +6 (123)