Читать книгу Natural History of Cottonmouth Moccasin, Agkistrodon piscovorus (Reptilia) - Ray D. Burkett - Страница 7

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Color predominantly brown, ranging through pale reddish-brown or dark reddish-brown, brownish-green, to almost black; 10 to 17 irregular dark brown bands on paler brown ground color; young paler (some nearly salmon pink), retaining a vivid pattern throughout first year; pattern of most individuals nearly obliterated by third year; brilliance and dullness of predominant color correlated with molting cycle (skin especially bright and shiny immediately following shedding; tip of tail yellowish in juveniles; posterior part of venter and tail uniformly black in some adult individuals, especially females; secondary sexual differences in dorsal coloration, such as found in copperhead by Fitch (1960:102), not noted.

The eastern subspecies, A. p. piscivorus, has the more brilliant pattern in which the centers of the dark cross-bands are invaded by the ground color. The cross-bands are slightly constricted in the mid-line and may or may not be bilaterally symmetrical. One-half of the cross-band may be displaced anteriorly or posteriorly to a slight degree or may even be completely absent. From one to several dark spots may be present within the cross-bands.

The western subspecies, A. p. leucostoma, has a comparatively dull pattern in which the ground color does not invade the center of the cross-bands. In many instances the bands are outlined by white scales, as in the Mexican moccasin (this character is not so prominent in A. p. piscivorus because of the paler ground color). A large, dark blotch usually occurs at the base of the cross-band and may completely cross the ventral scales. The characteristic variations found in piscivorus are also present in leucostoma.

The number of bands is often difficult to count because of the dark color of some specimens. Gloyd and Conant (1943:168) reported averages of 12.5 (11 to 16) and 12.2 (10 to 16) in males and females, respectively, of leucostoma and ranges of 10 to 17 for males and 10 to 16 for females with averages of 13 in both sexes of piscivorus. On 20 specimens of leucostoma from Texas the average number of bands was 12.7 (11 to 15). If the number of bands differed on the two sides of an animal, the total number of the two sides was divided by two.