Mexican
Racer (Coluber constrictor oaxaca) from the Davis Mountains of Texas.
Many apparently disjunct populations of
this snake exist throughout southwestern Texas. In south Texas they tend to follow
watercourses and in west Texas they tend to inhabitat higher elevations of the more wooded
mountain ranges. Since they are found only sporadically, I felt that some photos I
shot of a DOR from the Davis Mountains would be of interest.
This specimen was collected at about
5800 ft. in the oak-pinyon-juniper association near the southern edge of the range in
August of 2000. It was active at about 1430 hrs when the temperature was
approximately 80ºF.
Given that the subspecific (and
even specific) taxonomy of this snake has been somewhat controversial, I follow Dixon
(2000, Amphibians and Reptiles of Texas, 2nd Ed.) in considering this to be C.
c. oaxaca).
[to view a larger image, click on a
photo. The coloration on these photos has not been adjusted]
Images 1-3: Dorsal aspect
Image 4: full ventral view
Image 5: middorsum, dorsal view
Image 6: middorsum, lateral view.
Image 7: head, lateral view
Image 8: head, dorsal view
Image 9: head, ventral view.
