William Edward Duellman

“ Of the xenodontine genera Tantalophis approaches Leimadophis in general physiognomy; perhaps it represents an early divergent stock of Leimadophis that has undergone radical changes in the hemipenis and other characters. On the other hand, if the nature of the hemipenis is of no importance in defining supergeneric groups of colubrid snakes, Tantalophis may have its relationships with Leptodeira and Hypsiglena. Although herpetologists have been working intensively on American colubrids for many decades, the relationships of the majority of the groups are not well understood. ”

“ The countryside around Tamazulápam is arid and supports plants of the genera Prosopis, Acacia, Ipomoea, and Cassia, and also columnar cacti. Oaks and pines grow on the limestone hills rising above the [Pg 9] rolling valley. Tantalophis may be endemic to the Balsas Basin, as are many other species of reptiles. However, if the snake has its relatives to the south in lower Central America and South America, such a distribution seems unlikely, even for an apparent relict. ”

“ This town lies at an elevation of about 6500 feet in the upper reaches of the Balsas Basin, an arid interior valley that expands in its upper end to form a broad basin of rolling and dissected terrain ranging from about 4000 to 6800 feet in elevation. ”