GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE
Photo By Patrick Houston Briggs (An old male from Guatemala, Courtesy to Tom Moisi)

Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE As early researchers were becoming familiar with the ophidian form of Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni, they eventually lumped it into the same species as deppei and considered it a subspecies known as Pituophis deppei gibsoni with Pituophis deppei lineaticollis, Pituophis deppei deppei, and Pituophis deppei jani, and sometimes known by other taxonomical names depending on the authority or time period. This whole group was called the Middle-American snake for a while until the lineaticollis races were separated from the deppei races.See this site: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/31570/31570-h/31570-h.htm.HISTORICAL REVIEW from William Duellman’s paper in 1960.A Taxonomic Study of the Middle-American Snake, Pituophis deppeiDuméril (1853: 453) described Elaphis deppei from a specimen in the Leiden Museum from “Mexico.” This specimen, according to the type description, has 233 ventrals and 67 caudals. In 1863 Jan described Pituophis deppei var. pholidostictus, also with “Mexico” as the type locality. Subsequent authors (see synonymy of P. deppei deppei in Stull, 1940: 25) have treated pholidostictus as a synonym of deppei. Smith and Taylor (1950: 334) restricted the type localities of deppei and pholidostictus to San Juan Teotihuacán, México. Cope (1860: 369) described Arizona jani on the basis of a specimen in the United States National Museum from Buena Vista, Coahuila. Stull (1932: 2, 1940: 42), Smith (1944: 145) and Smith and Taylor (1945: 107) considered jani as a northern subspecies of Pituophis deppei. Arizona lineaticollis was described by Cope (1861: 300); the type, which originally was in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and is now lost, was said to have come from Jalapa, Veracruz. This locality probably is in error. Smith (1943: 460) placed lineaticollis as a southern subspecies of deppei. Schmidt and Shannon (1947: 79) described Pituophis deppei brevilineata on the basis of five specimens from Tancítaro, Michoacán, and Stuart (1954: 172) described Pituophis deppei gibsoni from seven specimens from Departamento Chimaltenango, Guatemala. Thus, at present five subspecies of Pituophis deppei are recognized.(Of course, this has changed since the writing of this paper long ago.) For references, see the site above.Diagnosis (gibsoni): This race is characterized by paired, elongated, pale-centered, paravertebral spots on the anterior part of the body. Posterior to the paired spots are 22 to 27 dorsal body-blotches; these and the lateral intercalary spots have pale centers. There are 234 to 246 ventrals and 57 to 65 caudals [DUELLMAN 1960].

Scutelation:

Mid-body Scales             27
Supralabials                     8-9
Ventrals                            234-246
Infralabials                       11-13
Caudals                             57-65   Preoculars                         1

Anal                                   entire

Postoculars 2-3

Prefrontals 2

Gibson’s Bull Snake Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni wild in Guatemala.

A Taxonomic Study of the Middle American Snake, Pituophis deppei

by Duellman, William E. Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni Stuart, new combinationPituophis deppei gibsoni Stuart, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 67, p. 172, August 5, 1954.Type.—UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MUSEUM OF ZOOLOGY NO. 107060, OBTAINED BY COLVIN GIBSON. TYPE LOCALITY: YEPOCAPA,Chimaltenango, Guatemala.Diagnosis.—THIS RACE IS CHARACTERIZED BY PAIRED, ELONGATED, PALE-CENTERED, PARAVERTEBRAL SPOTS ON THE ANTERIOR PART OFTHE BODY. POSTERIOR TO THE PAIRED SPOTS ARE 22 TO 27 DORSAL BODY-BLOTCHES; THESE AND THE LATERAL INTERCALARY SPOTS HAVEpale centers. There are 234 to 246 ventrals and 57 to 65 caudals.Variation.—THE FEW SPECIMENS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FROM A SMALL GEOGRAPHIC AREA DO NOT PERMIT A DISCUSSION OF GEOGRAPHICVARIATION AT THIS TIME. ALL OF THE SPECIMENS HAVE THE PAIRED PARAVERTEBRAL SPOTS AND BLOTCHES WITH LIGHT CENTERS. IN THISRESPECT THE POPULATION OF lineaticollis EAST OF THE ISTHMUS OF TEHUANTEPEC IS NOTICEABLY DIFFERENT FROM THE NOMINALSUBSPECIES IN THE MEXICAN HIGHLANDS. SMITH AND TAYLOR (1945: 108) LISTED A SPECIMEN FROM SAN CRISTOBAL, CHIAPAS. IHAVE NOT SEEN THIS SPECIMEN AND SO DO NOT KNOW TO WHICH SUBSPECIES IT BELONGS. ON GEOGRAPHICAL GROUNDS IT PROBABLY ISgibsoni.Distribution.—GUATEMALAN HIGHLANDS AND PROBABLY HIGHLANDS OF CHIAPAS. ASIDE FROM THE SPECIMENS EXAMINED, TWOOTHERS ARE KNOWN—ONE FROM VOLCÁN AGUA, SACATEPEQUEZ (SLEVIN, 1939: 400), AND ONE FROM DUEÑAS, SACATEPEQUEZ(Boulenger, 1894: 65); these localities are not shown in figure 1.Specimens examined.—EIGHT, AS FOLLOWS: GUATEMALA: Chimaltenango: CHICHAVAC, CNHM 1927; FINCA EL TESORO, 3 KM.SE OF ACATENANGO, UMMZ 107062-3; FINCA RECREO, 4.5 KM. SW OF YEPOCAPA, UMMZ 107381; RÍO LOS POSITOS, 5.5 KM.NE OF YEPOCAPA, UMMZ 107061; RÍO SOBOLOPOP, 8 KM. W OF PATZÚN, UMMZ 107064; YEPOCAPA, UMMZ 107060. ElQuiche: Nebaj, UMMZ 89202

For ADVANCED PITUOPHIS HERPETOCULTURISTS, HERPETOLOGISTS, or other ENTHUSIASTS only, see the site address below for some excellent scientific follow up information on this genus of ophidians: http://www.sociedadherpetologicamexicana.org/uri/museo/pituo.pdf

Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE Guatemala City

Photo body image viewed from above taken by Patrick Houston Briggs, Courtesy Tom Moisi.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE Guatemala CityPhoto image of the left anterior body taken by Patrick Houston Briggs, Courtesy Tom Moisi
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE Guetemala CityPhoto below is a closeup image of the scales showing paired apical pits at the ends.by Patrick Houston Briggs, Courtesy Tom Moisi
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonatePhoto of my snake’s dorsal image taken in my hand for size comparison.Antigua, Guatemala parents By Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonatePhoto image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonatePhoto image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonatePhoto image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonatePhoto Upper Head image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonatePhoto image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonateUpper Anterior Photo image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonatePhoto image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonateRight Side Head image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonatePhoto image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonateLeft Side Head image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.

Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonate
Photo image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.
Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.

Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonate

Throat and Chin image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonateUpper Anterior image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonateDorsal Body image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonatePhoto image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE Guatemala CityPhoto taken by Patrick Houston Briggs, Courtesy Tom Moisi.
Pituophis lineaticollis lineaticollis above and Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni belowPhoto subspecies comparison by Patrick Houston Brggs
Patrick Houston Briggs holds one of his “2013 gibsoni” bred by John Ginter from snakes he aquired from Antigua, Guatemala
Pituophis lineaticollis gibsoni GIBSON’S or GUATEMALA BULL SNAKE neonate
Photo image of the author’s snake hatched from Antigua, Guatemala parents.
Photo taken by Patrick Houston Briggs 2013, Courtesy John Ginter “breeder researcher”.