ID Help

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ThomWild
Posts: 352
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 10:42 am
Location: Utah

ID Help

Post by ThomWild »

I was near Page this week and found this guy trying to cross the main highway. It was very lucky to make it across unscathed and did well on the frogger imitation. my first thought when I saw this guy was sonoran but when I got back to the Stebbins field guide it was a little too far north for sonoran. I am quite familiar with great basin gophers in different locals in its range and it just didn't look like others I am familiar with. I realize they are very variable so I just wanted to get your thoughts. The pics aren't the best but I do have a couple others if these don't help. A little side note, this was also a very thin specimen for its length but seemed to move around well and didn't have any skin folds.

Image

Image

Image

Are there any tells to help distinguish the two or is it primarily location?

Thanks for the help,

-Thomas
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Correcamino
Posts: 444
Joined: June 10th, 2010, 12:50 pm

Re: ID Help

Post by Correcamino »

Hey Thom,

They are deserticola there, probably just a little more pallid than what you are used to seeing. I have seen some absolute beauties from there!
Snakes from that area are kinda like Pituophis deppei, babies are rather boring in appearance and they just get better as they grow. The big five and six footers are awesome!
Rich
ThomWild
Posts: 352
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 10:42 am
Location: Utah

Re: ID Help

Post by ThomWild »

Thanks for the help Rich. I have found adults near the lake that have been as you described very deppei with nice yellow background and varying black to red blotches for a nice contrast, I had never found a little one though. Thanks for the clarification.

Out of curiosity, how far north do the Sonorans come?

-Thomas
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Correcamino
Posts: 444
Joined: June 10th, 2010, 12:50 pm

Re: ID Help

Post by Correcamino »

Yeah, the ones near the lake often have bright coloring, lots of oranges, pinks and yellows. I like the ones from the pale sandy areas south of the lake. They are often a variety of pastels, very faded pinks to white. Some reallly beautiful snakes.

"Out of curiosity, how far north do the Sonorans come?"

I would say to the south rim of the Grand Canyon although they do get a bit of a different look to them once you get north of the Mogollon Rim. I used to consider this an intergrade zone, but now I think it is just a northern cline in affinis as I still see classic looking affinis at the south rim, yet I don't see anything I would call deserticola. I can't say for sure where the transition occurs east of the Grand Canyon and out thru the Rez.

Rich
fangmaster
Posts: 80
Joined: March 12th, 2011, 12:40 pm

Re: ID Help

Post by fangmaster »

Light phase great basin.
reako45
Posts: 542
Joined: June 12th, 2010, 9:38 am

Re: ID Help

Post by reako45 »

Looks GB or deserticola w/ slight affinis influence. Great looking snake. Never run into an AZ GB. Cool find.

reako45
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