Two specimens of the western hog-nosed snake (Heterodon nasicus nasicus Baird and Girrard) are reported from a sand prairie in Louisa County, Iowa. Also reported from the same locality is a specimen of the eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus Rafinesque)

Dodge, Christopher H.

University of Northern Iowa

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science Volume 70 Annual Issue Article 84 1963 The Western Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon nasicus nasicus Baird and Girard) in Southeastern Iowa Christopher H. Dodge Let us know how access to this document benefits you Copyright ©1963 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc. Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias Recommended Citation Dodge, Christopher H. (1963) "The Western Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon nasicus nasicus Baird and Girard) in Southeastern Iowa," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 70(1), 516-517. Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol70/iss1/84 This Research is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa Academy of Science at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science by an authorized editor of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact scholarworks@uni.edu. The Western Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon nasicus nasicus Baird and Girard) m Southeastern Iowa CHRISTOPHER H. DoDGE1 Abstract. Two specimens of the western hog-nosed snake (Heterodon nasicus nasicus Baird and Girrard) are reported from a sand prairie in Louisa County, Iowa. Also reported from the same locality is a specimen of the eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus Rafinesque). Two snakes from a sand prairie in Louisa County, Iowa, have been indentified as Heterodon nasicus nasicus. The two speci-mens, a female and a male, were in the writer's collection at the State University of Iowa. The characters of these snakes agree with those given by Conant ( 1958). The snout-vent lengths are given below: No. 1. 2. Sex F M Snout-vent Length (mm) 475 376 Although the female laid six white, thin shelled eggs on July 2, 1961, they were desiccated when discovered and could not be measured. The hiatus between the southeastern Iowa locality and the great plains range of this subspecies is approximately 250 miles. It was first reported in the western part of the state in 1910 (Ruthven). Guthrie ( 1926) included it in the herpetofauna of the northwestern corner of the state. East of its great plains' range, it occurs in relict extensions of western sand prairie. Its presence in southeastern Iowa under the conditions described is to be expected, since Smith ( 1955) mentions this snake from western Illinois sand prairies. [Note to editors: A DOR (dead-on-road) specimen of the massasauga ( Sistmrus catenatus catenatus) was observed in the same area where the writer had preciously received a bite from a member of this species (Dodge and Folk, 1960). No speci-mens have actually been reported from this Muscatine prairie marsh, and this is apparently the first one on record for this area.] Literature Cited Conant, R. 1958. A field guide to amphibians and reptiles. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 336 pp. 1 Aerospace Infonnation Division. The Library of Congress, Washington 25, D.C, 516 1Dodge: The Western Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon nasicus nasicus Baird andPublished by UNI ScholarWorks, 19631963] WESTERN HOG-NOSED SNAKE 517 Dodge, C. H., and Folk, G. E., Jr. 1960. A case of rattlesnake poisoning in Iowa with a description of early symptoms. Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci. 67: 622-624. Guthrie, J. E. 1926. The snakes of Iowa. Iowa State Coll. Agr. Exp. Bull. 239: 147-192. Ruthven, A. G. 1910. Contributions to Iowa herptology. Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci. 17: 198-200. · Smith, P. W. 1955. Pseudacris streckeri illino-isensfa in Missouri. Trans. Kans. Acad. Sci. 58( 3) :411. Return of Pigment in Regenerative Tissue After Inhibition by Phenylthiourea1 SISTER FRANCIS CLARE LADD2 Abstract. Inhibition of melanogenesis in larval cells of five amphibian species (two genera) was attained by phenyl-thiourea treatment. Buff-colored granules were demonstrated in cells of three species, gray granules in two. Pigment re-turned five to fifteen minutes after withdrawal of PTU. The delay is thought to be due to the time needed for the auto-catalytic formation of some dihydroxyphenylalanine, which with tyrosinase is required for melanogenesis, as reported by Lerner and Case. Results obtained with living cells were cor-roborated by study of fixed material. The data support an origin within the Golgi complex or endoplasmic reticulum. Most of the extensive literature on rnelanogenesis in animals has been concerned with the morphology and chemistry of melanin formati-0n in mammals. This study concerns melanin formation in larval anurans following inhibition of melanogenesis in both normal and regenerative tissue. Several classes of compounds are capable of chemical inhibi-tion of melanin formation in animals. Some of these compete with copper in the action of the essential enzyme, tyrosinase; others combine with copper. Among the latter are some deriva-tives of thiourea which have proved highly effective in amphibia (Lynn, 1948; Millot and Lynn, 1954; Lynn and Dent, 1957). Of these, phenylthioura is probably the most potent. Since melanin formation is essentially an oxidative polymerization, it also may be inhibited by reducing agents such as ascorbic acid. The . .results of melanin inhibition are particularly striking w.beID.>':treatment is given to young larvae before the larval pig-ment has appeared. These individuals do not develop any new pigment as long as the phenylthiourea treatment is continued. Withdrawing the treatment results in reappearance of melanin. Similarly, administration of phenylthiourea to tadpoles during l Taken from a dissertation submitted at The Catholic University of America in partial fulfillment of the degree, Doctor of Philosophy. 2 Mount St. Clare Junior College, Clinton, Iowa. 2Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, Vol. 70 [1963], No. 1, Art. 84https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol70/iss1/84

The Western Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon nasicus nasicus Baird and Girard) in Southeastern Iowa

Name not available

https://scholarworks.uni.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2333&context=pias

The Western Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon nasicus nasicus Baird and Girard) in Southeastern Iowa

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

University of Northern Iowa

Name not available