Quote:
Originally Posted by aSnakeLovinBabe
I'm not even really convinced that maritimes and easterns should be separate subspecies. honestly, I look at a maritime, and I look at an eastern without a stripe, and I see the same snake. what if the maritimes in their "stronghold" are actually just isolated easterns that have happened to favor a stripeless coloration?
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Well although i agree they are similar, the fact is subspecies are made by a part of one species being isolated from the rest of the general population and developing unique traits. A classic example would be Darwin's findings on the variety different finches in the world, they had many adaptations(mainly beak design) that help them be more "fit" for their environment. In a few years we may see maritime be significantly different than the eastern, length for example like reed said, all because of certain mutations the maritime subspecies has gone through to become more fit for the northern environment.