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Lampropeltis mexicana (GARMAN, 1884)

IUCN Red List - Lampropeltis mexicana - Least Concern, LC

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Higher TaxaColubridae, Colubrinae, Lampropeltini, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Mexican Kingsnake
S: Culebra Real Roja 
SynonymOphibolus triangulus mexicanus GARMAN 1884: 28
Coronella mexicana GÜNTHER 1893: 110
Oreophis boulengeri DUGÈS 1897
Coronella mexicana — GÜNTHER 1900
Lampropeltis mexicana — BLANCHARD 1921
Lampropeltis mexicana mexicana — GEHLBACH & BAKER 1962: 298
Lampropeltis mexicana — LINER 1994
Lampropeltis mexicana — WALLACH et al. 2014: 358
Lampropeltis mexicana — JOHNSON et al. 2017
Lampropeltis mexicana — HANSEN & SALMON 2017: 732 
DistributionMexico (S Durango, San Luis Potosi, N Jalisco, Guanajuato, Zacatecas [HR 8: 85], San Luis Potosi, Aguascalientes [HR 32: 278], Tamaulipas, Hidalgo [HR 47: 262], Nuevo León, Coahuila)

Type locality: near Ciudad San Luis Potosi, Mexico  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesSyntypes: MCZ 4652, 4653
Holotype: MDUG HE 103 [Oreophis boulengeri] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A moderate-sized (maximum TL = 1,156 mm) species of kingsnake most similar to some individuals of L. leonis (Tamaulipas). The presence of black-bordered red blotches or bands on a gray or brown ground color is distinctive. A black postocular dash is present in L. mexicana (rare in L. leonis). Red head markings typically are elaborate, and often are tri-lobed; in L. leonis, the dorsal head markings, if present, differ from those seen in L. mexicana (Fig. 18). Lampropeltis mexicana also differs from L. leonis in lacking pattern polymorphism. Sexual dichromatism is evident in captive-bred L. mexicana, as adult males tend to be more brightly marked, a character discernible even in some captive-produced hatchlings. This species does not exhibit the degree of ontogenetic pattern change commonly seen in non-coralsnake pattern phenotypes of L. leonis. The dorsal blotches of individuals from the northern part of the range (Sierra La Trinidad, San Luis Potosí) are elongated, compared to snakes from more southern localities (Fig. 27). The ventral scale counts (190–200) are slightly lower, but partly overlap those for L. leonis (194–212). [in HANSEN & SALMOIN 2017: 737] 
CommentSubspecies: L. m. alterna and leonis have been elevated to full species status (L. alterna now includes L. m. blairi, and leonis includes thayeri).

Synonymy: partly after GEHLBACH 1967, HANSEN & SALMON 2017.

Distribution: see map in HANSEN & SALMON 2017: 722 (Fig. 17). Not in Nayarit, where it is replaced by L. greeri and L. polyzona fide LOC-BARRAGÁN et al. 2024 (checklist Nayarit). 
EtymologyNamed after the type locality. 
References
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  • Carbajal-Márquez, Rubén A. and Gustavo E. Quintero-Díaz 2016. The Herpetofauna of Aguascalientes, México. Revista Mexicana de Herpetología 2(1):
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