This nocturnal snake apparently ranges throughout the arid Balsas-Tepalcatepec Valley to elevations of about 1050 meters. It has been collected only in the arid scrub forest. Aside from the specimens listed by Duellman (1958a:93), there is one (UMMZ 120223) having eight body blotches, a body length of 510 mm. and a tail length of 103 mm.
Leptodeira maculata (Hallowell)
Megalops maculatus Hallowell, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 13:488, March 31, 1862.—"Tahiti." Type locality restricted to Manzanillo, Colima, México, by Duellman (1958a:54).
Leptodeira maculata, Duellman, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 114:53, February 24, 1958.
Aguililla (2); Apatzingán (24); Arteaga (2); Capirio (3); Charapendo (2); Coahuayana (3); Cofradía; Cuatro Caminos; La Placita (3); Lombardia (69); Nueva Italia (29); Pómaro; Río Marquez, 10 km. S of Lombardia (2); Salitre de Estopila; Tafetan (2); Volcán Jorullo.
This snake is abundant in the arid Tepalcatepec Valley; most of the specimens have been collected in arid scrub forest at elevations of less than 500 meters. With the onset of the rains in late June and early July, large numbers of these snakes can be found around temporary pools, where they feed on small frogs and toads. In the dry season few individuals were found, and all of those were beneath cover. Specimens from the coast have more body-blotches than do those from the Tepalcatepec Valley (Duellman, 1958a:56); otherwise the snakes show little variation.
Leptodeira splendida bressoni Taylor
Leptodeira bressoni Taylor, Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull., 25:321, July 10, 1939.—Hacienda El Sabino, Michoacán, México.
Leptodeira splendida bressoni, Duellman, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 114:84, February 24, 1958.