The Amphibians and Reptiles of Sinaloa, Mexico - Smithsonian ...

AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF SINALOA, MEXICO 189
in color and contrast with a black suborbital stripe that is indistinct
above and distinct, sharp-edged below. The suborbital stripe gradually
disappears on the neck.
Field observations indicate the species is diurnal, perhaps crepuscular,
in activity; it probably feeds on lizards and frogs encountered
in the arboreal habitat. Two females preserved on August
16 contained four and six large oviducal eggs (Scott, 1962:64).
Distribution in Sinaloa.—Throughout the lowlands, and in the
foothills to about 550 meters. See Fig. 77.
Specimens examined.—16 Ian. NNE Choix, 520 m. (* KU 73584); 4.4 mi.
SW Concordia (CSCLB 2182); 47.4 mi. N Culiacan (LACM 7014); 6 km.
NE El Fuerte, 150 m. (°KU 77978); Isla Palmito del Verde, middle ('KU
73586-600); Eabrados (CAS 64981); La Cruz (LACM 7012-13); 10.2 mi. N
Mazatten (LACM 7015); 44 mi. N Mazatlan (LACM 7011); Rosario, 150 m.
(•KU 73585); Teacapan (LACM 7017-20, 7235-36); 2 mi. N Teacapan
(LACM 7016); 8 km. N Villa Uni6n, 140 m. ('KU 80759, 83409); 1.5 km.
NE Villa Uni6n (• KU 37593); 20 mi. E Villa Union (CSCLB 2163).
Literature records.—Costa Rica (Smith and Van Gelder, 1955:145); 10 mi.
S Culiac&n (Fugler and Dixon, 1961:16); Presidio (Boulenger, 1896:193).
Additional records.—26 mi. N Culiacan (FAS 11373); Escumapa (AMNH
3887-88, 4308-09); 5 mi. N Mazatlan (MVZ 59298); 9 mi. N Mazatlan (MVZ
59297); 50-55 ml. N Mazatlan (FAS 12920); 58.5 mi. N Mazatlan (UIMNH
41575); 70 mi. N Mazatl&n (FAS 16818); 77 mi. N Mazatlan (FAS 14835);
3 mi. S Mazatlan (ASDM 1751); 11.5 mi. S Rio Presidio (SU 24011).
Phyllorhynchus browni Stejneger
Phylbrhynchm browni Stejneger, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 13:152, 1890 (type
locality, Tucson, Arizona).
Remarks.—Bogert and Oliver (1945:351) described Phyllorhynchus
browni fortitus from Sonora based on differences in color and
size of blotches, relative sizes of the blotches and interspaces, and
the shape of the rostral; they suggested that in the south the body
blotches are much longer than the interspaces and ventrals are
fewer.
Shannon and Humphrey described P. b. klauberi from the central
Sinaloan lowlands and separated it from P. b. fortitus as having
"generally greater total pigmentation" (1959a: 145), the interspace
pigment clumped into irregular macules, a posterior extension of
the interorbital black band to form dark parietal spots, dorsal
blotches not bordered laterally with darker pigment, longer frontal,
and a narrower and less truncate rostral.
Eight males have 148-164 (156.9) ventrals; 27-34 (30.6) subcaudals;
10-18 (12.8) body blotches; 2-4 (2.8) tail blotches; and
frontal width/frontal length of 0.76-0.96 (0.84) (excluding KU
73606). These characters for two females are 175, 168; 22, 21;
14, 14; 2, 2; and 0.88, 0.75 respectively. The dorsal scale rows at