Central Guatemalan milksnake (L.t.abnorma)
The Central Guatemalan milksnake (L.t.abnorma) is found only in the montane highlands of central Guatemala. It has an abnormally high number of red body rings, generally 25 and higher. In many specimens, the red body color is more of a reddish-orange. The white body rings are very thin, and the adjacent black body rings are also thin and do not expand middorsally or encroach upon the reddish-orange body rings. It has been recorded to lengths of as much as 6'8", and does not usually darken much as an adult, other than that some of the white body rings may become black-tipped. This subspecies is often confused with the more northern-ranged L.t.polyzona, which has a much less red body ring count (max. of 24 or 25), and is always bicolored red and black as an adult. |