So, it's been bothering me for a while now. Apparently the taxonomy of
Thamnophis elegans has changed a bit and now only two subspecies remain recognized;
T. elegans elegans and
T. elegans vagrans.
According to:
CNAH
Quote:
Taxonomic Comments:- Hammerson (1999 Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado. Second Edition. University Press of Colorado, Niwot. xxvi + 484 pp.) presented substantial evidence that the race, Thamnophis elegans arizonae Tanner & Lowe 1989, did not deserve recognition.
- Hammerson (1999 Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado. Second Edition. University Press of Colorado, Niwot. xxvi + 484 pp.) presented substantial evidence that the race, Thamnophis elegans vascotanneri Tanner & Lowe 1989, did not deserve recognition.
- Bronikowski and Arnold (2001 Copeia 2001(2): 508-513), using DNA data, concluded that recognition of the race, Thamnophis elegans terrestris Fox 1951, was unsupported.
|
So what subspecies do the respective populations belong to now? I'm especially interested in what happened to
T. elegans terrestris.