Northern Speckled Racer
Drymobius margaritiferus margaritiferus
(Schlegel 1837)
Cameron Co., Texas. February 21st, 1995.
One of the bitter lessons I learned about field photography is to make sure your equipment is working properly before you go herping. A unnoticed dead battery on my exposure meter ruined my shots of my first speckled racer (shooting film sucked in so many ways). I made more trips to the area and saw more speckled racers, but the weather was always warm, the snakes were hot and zippy, and no decent photos could be secured. I finally had my chance at some photos while herping in the Yucatán peninsula.
As for etymology, the Reptile Database states: ” The generic name is derived from the Greek words drymos, meaning “oak wood or forest,” and bios, meaning “life or manner of living,” in reference to its habitat. After the Latin “margarita” = pearl, and Latin “fer” = carrying.”
My Flickr album for this species is here.
HerpMapper records for this species are here.
