Field notes : Mexico, 1949

[left page] MARCH 30, - CONT. I HAVE SEEN THE CNEMIDOPHORUS HERE RUN ON THEIR HIND LEGS ALONE SEVERAL TIMES. THE BODY IS NOT LIFTED HIGH, HOWEVER. - THE FORELEGS ARE JUST LIFTED UP AND HELD ALONG SIDE THE BODY.

A SCELOPORUS I SAW DID NOT HESITATE TO DIVE INTO THE STREAM AND SWIM TO THE OTHER BANK WHEN IT SPOTTED ME. I SHOT HIM ON THE FAR BANK.

THERE WERE VERY FEW FROGS ALONG THE STREAM. 12 WHICH I SAW DIVE AND WAITED FOR, WERE ALMOST CERTAINLY R. PIPIENS, ALTHO I DIDN'T GET EITHER, I THINK ALL THE TADS ARE PIPIENS, ALTHO I SAW A FEW VERY TINY BLACK ONES, PROBABLY BUFO.

MARCH 31, 1949 - SAN GABRIEL. HELMUT BROUGHT IN A SCELOPORUS HE CAUGHT IN HIS TRAP A MILE N. OF TOWN. I SPENT THE MORNING TAKING CARE OF THE SPECIMENS I GOT HERE, AND WE DROVE TO GUZMAN FOR THE NIGHT. MCVAUGH GOT A STORERIA STORERIOIDES ON COLIMA FOR ME. IT HAS ONLY 5 LABIALS (7 IN SPECIES)

APRIL 1, 1949 - EN ROUTE SPENT THE A.M. IN GUZMAN BUYING SUPPLIES, ETC. DROVE TO THE N.E. SLOPE OF THE NEVADO, BY A VERY ROUNDABOUT ROUTE. THE ALLWEATHER ROAD FROM GUZMAN TO SAN GABRIEL GOES SOUTH FROM E. TO THE FOOT OF THE NEVADO, WHERE A JUNCTION GOES ONE WAY TO ATENQUIQUE AND THE OTHER TO S. GABRIEL. THE LATTER FOLLOWS THE FOOTHILLS TO LOS ALPES, WHERE IT JOINS OUR OLD ROAD TO S.E. A BRIDGE AT LOS ALPES IS MISSING, THUS THE ALL WEATHER ROAD CANNOT BE USED ALL THE WAY. ABOUT 2 MILES SHORT OF LOS ALPES A ROAD GOES LEFT TO A SAWMILL, AND THEN ON UP THE MT.

[right page] APRIL 1, 1949. (CONT.) TO 10,000 FT. THIS ROAD IS TOO STEEP ABOUT 7500 FT. FOR OUR TYPE OF TRUCK, ALTHO THE LUMBER TRUCKS GO RIGHT ON UP. WE CAMPED AT ABOUT 7[??]00 FT.

APRIL 2, 1949 - NEVADO DE COLIMA I WENT DOWNHILL TODAY, BECAUSE OF MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES AT THE HIGH ALT. ON THIS MT. I DROPPED DOWN TO THE TREE LINE GOING DOWN, WHERE OPEN GRASSY FIELDS BEGIN (ABOUT 6800 FT) THESE FIELDS ARE STREWN WITH ROCKS. THEY (THE FIELDS) ARE CLOSELY CROPPED BY CATTLE, A LOG AT THE FOOT OF A STEEP HILL COVERED A SMALL CROTALUS, WHICH HAD JUST FINISHED SHEDDING HIS SKIN, THE CAST LYING BESIDE HIM. THE ROCKS YIELDED TWO SPECIES OF SCELOPORUS, FERRARIPEREZI AND SCALARIS? THE LATTER WAS QUITE COMMON, AND I PICKED UP A SMALL SERIES AS I FOLLOWED THE PATH AROUND THE HILLS. THEY WERE ALL UNDER ROCKS AND LOGS, IN OPEN FIELDS.

I CONTINUED ON DOWN THE MT. ALMOST TO THE FLAT VALLEY, AT ABOUT 6500 FT. A VERY DEEP VALLEY CAME OFF THE MOUNTAIN FROM VERY HIGH, AND CONTINUED ITS CUT TO THE FLATLANDS. I WENT DOWN INTO IT, AND TURNED ROCKS, WHICH WERE NUMEROUS. I FOUND 4 CONOPSIS UNDER THESE ROCKS, MOST OF THEM ON THE CANYON SIDE ONLY A LITTLE ABOVE THE STREAM BED. THE STREAM WAS PERFECTLY DRY, OF COURSE, AS IS ALL OF THIS MOUNTAIN.

WE LEFT HERE ABOUT 4 O CLOCK, AND WENT TO GUZMAN FOR WATER. THEN WE DROVE WEST ON THE DRY WEATHER ROAD TO SAN GABRIEL, DRIVING TO ABOUT 6500 FT. WE MADE CAMP ABOUT 6:30 UNDER THE FOOTHILLS OF THE RANGE DIRECTLY TO THE NORTH OF THE NEVADO.

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APRIL 3, 1949-10 ml. W. OF C. GUZMAN

FOUND 3 EUMECES AND ONE SCELOP UNDER ROCKS AND LOGS. WE ARE STILL IN FAIRLY FLAT COUNTRY, ALTHOUGH THE FOOTHILLS GO UP 1800-2000 FT RIGHT BEHIND US THE GRASS HERE IS ALSO HEAVILY GRAZED. ALL THE EUMECES WERE IN THE WOODS ON THE FOOTHILLS, WHILE THE SCELOP WAS UNDER A ROCK IN THE LEVEL GRAZED FIELD. SAW ANOTHER HERE I DIDN'T GET. IT WENT DOWN A GOPHER HOLE.

DROVE BACK TO GUZMAN AT NOON AND PICKED UP THE BOTANISTS. DROVE TO GUADALAJARA DIRECTLY, AND SPENT THE NIGHT.

APRIL 4, 1949. SPENT ENTIRE DAY IN GUADALAJARA. LEARNED FROM HELMUT THAT THERE ARE TWO MIRADORS IN VERACRUZ WHICH HAVE BOTH BEEN TYPE LOCALITIES. ONE IS BETWEEN JALAPA & V. C., THE OTHER BETWEEN CORDOBA & JALAPA. ONE IS THE FORMER PROPERTY OF PART OF HELMUT'S FAMILY, AND SERVED AS A COLLECTING PLACE FOR SEVERAL GERMAN COLLECTORS. ONE IS HUMID & MOIST TROPICAL, THE OTHER IS QUITE DRY.

APRIL 5, 1949- AUTLAN. LEFT GUADALAJARA ABOUT NOON, AND DROVE ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTH TO THE ROAD TO AUTLAN, THRU AUTLAN. THIS ROAD PASSES THRU CONSIDERABLE DRY COUNTRY, BUT THE VALLEYS QUITE OFTEN HAVE WATER, AND THE BARRANCAS SUPPLY IT. A CONSIDERABLE PORTION OF THE ROAD IS IN RAIN SHADOW. AND ONLY SCRAWNY OAKS, MESQUITE AND CACTUS GROWS ON THE HILLSIDES. THE ROAD PASSES A QUITE SPECTACULAR MT. RANGE JUST NORTH OF AUTLAN, AND DROPS QUITE RAPIDLY

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APRIL 5, 1949 - AUTLAN. I RODE WITH THE BOTANISTS, AND WE HAD A FLAT TIRE ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN. AS A RESULT, WE DIDN'T GET TO AUTLAN TILL AFTER 5.

WENT OUT N OF AUTLAN WITH THE MASTOS TO SET TRAPS. SAW TWO LIZARDS, DIDN'T GET EITHER, BECAUSE OF THE PROXIMITY OF ROCK FENCES. FOUND A SAGO SNAKE SKIN UNDER A ROCK.

APRIL 6, 1949. AUTLAN AND 2 MI. N OF LA RESOLANA. WENT OUT WITH THE MASTOS BEFORE SUN UP, AND HAD TO WAIT FOR SUFFICIENT LIGHT TO COLLECT. AS SOON AS THERE WAS LIGHT ENOUGH, I TURNED ROCKS AND GOT A CNEMIDOPHORUS GULARIS. IT WAS QUITE CHILLY, AND I SAW NOTHING ELSE. THIS LOCALITY IS ON THE MAIN ROAD - AUTLAN - GUADALAJARA - AND IS VERY DRY VALLEY BETWEEN VERY DRY HILLS, ALL COVERED WITH MESQUITE AND CACTUS. THERE IS A LARGE RIVER SEVERAL MILES TO THE NORTH, WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE TOTAL WATER SUPPLY HEREABOUTS.

AFTER RETURNING TO AUTLAN, WE DROVE SOUTH ALONG THE HIGHWAY FROM AUTLAN TO MANZANILLO, GOING TO A SMALL TOWN CALLED LA RESOLANA, WHICH IS NOT ON THE HGWY, AS SHOWN IN THE 3A MAP, BUT SOMEWHAT SOUTH. WE TRIED TO FIND A ROAD FROM HERE UP THE SIERRA DE AUTLAN, BUT LOCAL INQUIRY SHOWED A COMPLETE LACK OF SUCH, UNLESS WE GO PRACTICALLY INTO MANZANILLO; AND WOULD TAKE 20 HRS. WE DECIDED AGAINST THIS AND RETURNED TO THE HGWY, DRIVING BACK TOWARDS AUTLAN. WE CROSSED 2 MT. STREAMS ON THE WAY, AND CAMPED AT THE THIRD WE CROSSED. IT IS A WATER TRUCK FILLING STOP, FIXED UP WITH PIPES TO FILL THE TRUCK. THE STREAM CONTINUES ON ACROSS THE ROAD AND

APRIL 6, 1949. CONT. DROPS A SHORT DISTANCE INTO THE VALLEY. THE ALTITUDE HERE IS 1500 FT. JUST ACROSS THE ROAD FROM CAMP IS A SWAMPY AREA, WITH A TROPICAL ASPECT. MANY LIANAS AND BROMELIADS IN THE TREES, IMMENSE LEGUMES, AND SO ON. IT WAS A RICH AREA NERPETOLOGICALLY - LATER I GOT SEVERAL HYLAS, LEPTODACTYLUS, AGALYCHNIS, BUFO, LEPTODEIRA, ETC. IN IT. 2 OF THE 4 LEPTODEIRA MACULATA TAKEN WERE IN THE BASES OF ELEPHANT EAR PLANTS, THE OTHER 2 UNDER LOGS THE HYLA, (SMITHI I THINK) WERE AMAZINGLY ABUNDANT IN THE BASES OF THE ELEPHANT EAR, 2 OR 3 TO A LEAF. I GOT THE H. SMITHI & SOME VERY TINY LEPTODACTYLUS ON THE 6TH, BUT WHEN I PRESERVED THEM THE NEXT DAY, THE SUN GOT TO THEM IN LATE AFTERNOON, AND DRIED THEM OUT PRETTY THOROLY. KEPT THEM - MAY BE GOOD SKELETAL MATERIAL. GOT A BURO AT NIGHT CROSSING THE ROAD.

APRIL 7, 1949, - 2 MI. N. OF LA RESOLANA, 1500 FT. SPENT THE ENTIRE DAY IN THE TROPICAL AREA, EXCEPT FOR SOME LIZARD SHOOTING IN THE DRY SLOPES WHICH SURROUND THE SWAMPY GROUND. AMIENA, ANOLIS, 2 KINDS OF CNEMIDOPHORUS AND SCELOPS ARE HERE. I ALSO GOT A LARGE PIPIENS UNDER A LOG IN THIS DRYER AREA. GOT THE 4 SNAKES ON THIS DATE, AS ABOVE. THERE WERE MANY FISH IN THE STREAMS, ALL MINNOWS. THE TREES WERE FULL OF PARROTS, SOLITAIRES, AND DOZENS OF OTHERS. IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST DELIGHTFUL PLACES I'VE HIT, AND THE ONLY THING WRONG IS THAT IT'S TOO SMALL.

[right page] 35 APRIL 8, 1949 - 2 MI. N. OF LA RESOLANA.

I RETURNED TO THE SAME AREA TO HELP THE BOTANISTS COLLECT SOME OF THE ELEPHANT EAR (THEIR NUMBER ON IT IS [blank space] ) IN WHICH I FOUND SO MUCH. I GOT MORE OF THE FROGS TO REPLACE THE DRIED SERIES, AND ALSO GOT SOME OF THE GRASSHOPPERS WHICH LIVE IN THE LEAVES. WE LEFT HERE IN THE AFTERNOON AND DROVE TO THE HIGHEST POINT ON THE ROAD WHERE WE STOPPED TO COLLECT. IT IS QUITE DRY, WITH SCRUBBY OAK COVER, ALSO SOME OF THE BARRANCAS ARE SOMEWHAT MORE MOIST. THE HILLS ARE QUITE BARE. I PICKED UP AN [??] WE DROVE INTO AUTLAN FOR THE MEET, AND I SPENT MOST OF EVENING WORKING ON SPECIMENS.

APRIL 9, 1949 - AUTLAN, 3000 FT. SPENT THE ENTIRE DAY CATALOGUING AND PRESERVING WHAT I'VE COLLECTED RECENTLY. I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A CHANCE TO FIX THINGS RIGHT FOR 2 WEEKS, AND I CAN CARRY LIVE STUFF NO LONGER. WE LEAVE MONDAY TO SPEND THE WEEK HIGH IN THE SIERRA DE AUTLAN, AND SPECIMENS WILL BE OUT OF PLAVE IN THE MULE TRAIN.

APRIL 10, 1949 - AUTLAN, 3000 FT. DROVE WITH THE JEFES TO CHIANTE TO ARRANGE FOR PACK ANIMALS FOR THE TRIP UP THE SIERRA. I DIDN'T GO ALL THE WAY HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE GOOD COLLECTING ALONG THE WAY. THE ROAD GOES 8 MI. E OF AUTLAN, THEN ABOUT 6 MI. S. TO CHIANTE. IT IS IN THE VALLEY MOST OF THE WAY, THRU DRY, DUSTY COUNTRY, WITH THORNY BUSHES, MESQUITE AND SOME CACTI. THERE IS A LOVELY YELLOW FLOWERING TREE, CALLED PRIMAVERA, ALL ALONG THE ROAD.

[left page] 36 APRIL 10, 1949 - CONT. THE ROADS ARE LINED WITH STONE FENCES AND THORNY BUSHES, AND THESE ARE ALIVE WITH LIZARDS. AMEIVA AND CNEMIDOPHORUS ABOUND ON THE GROUND, AND THE FENCES HAVE CTENOSAURA EVERY FEW FEET. I COLLECTED A SERIES OF THE CTENOSAURS, WITH A WONDERFUL COLOR VARIATION. 2 OF THE 12 COLLECTED WERE SHOT OUT OF A TREE, ONE IN A HOLE ABOUT 35 FEET UP, THE OTHER ON A LIMB ABOUT 20 FEET UP. THE TREE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A RANCHO YARD, WHICH IS FAIRLY WELL SURROUNDED BY HOUSES. THEY LIVE ON HOUSES AND BARN ROOFS QUITE COMMONLY. THEY LIE ON THE TOPS OF THE STONE FENCES, WITH THEIR HEADS RAISED, AND SLIGHTLY RAISED ON THE FORE LIMBS. THEY ARE EASILY VISIBLE FOR A LONG DISTANCE.

I GOT A CNEMIDOPHORUS ALONG THE ROAD, AND R. PIPIENS UNDER A LOG NEAR A SMALL STREAM WHICH PURPORTS TO HAVE TURTLES, ALTHO I SAW NONE.

RETURNED TO TOWN ABOUT 2 P.M, AND SPENT THE REST OF THE DAY FIXING UP THE CTENOSAURA.

APRIL 11, 1949. EN ROUTE TO SIERRA. DROVE TO CHIANTI WHERE WE LOADED OUR GEAR ON MULES, LEFT THE TRUCK, AND STARTED UP THE MOUNTAIN. ON THE WAY UP WE PASSED THRU THE FOLLOWING SMALL VILLAGES:

THE TRAIL WINDS THRU PASSES BETWEEN MOUNTAINS WHICH STILL PERPETUATE THE DRY LOOK OF THE VALLEY. THERE IS MUICH SCRUB OAK AND DRY GRASS. I COLLECTED AN ANOLIS IN AN ELEPHANT EAR, IN A DRY CREEK BED, ABOUT 3500 FT. WE HIT OAK FOREST ABOUT

[right page] 37 APRIL 11, 1949, SIERRA DE AUTLAN 4600 FT., AND PINES AT ABOUT [blank space]. WE CAMPED EARLIER THAN WAS NECESSARY IN A VALLEY THAT CONTAINED A GOOD NUMBER OF SPRINGS GIVING RISE TO SMALL STREAMS, WHICH COMBINE INTO A GOOD SIZED RIVER. I FOUND A RHADINAEA UNDER THE FIRST LOG I TURNED, AND FOUND NOTHING ELSE THE REST OF THE NIGHT. THE ALTITUDE OF THIS CAMP WAS 5000 FT., AND THE AREA US CALLED MANANTLAN BY THE NATIVES.

APRIL 12, 1949 - SIERRA DE AUTLAN, 7600 FT. WE CONTINUED OUR TRIP ON UP TO 7600 FEET TODAY. UP A CANADA WHICH CONTAINED CONSIDERABLE WATER. WE CLIMBED THE HILLS TO THE EAST OF MANANTLAN. THE CANADA IS THE FIRST TO THE EAST OF THE CREST. WE WENT ALONG THE MOUNTAIN ABOUT 2-3 MILES AND CAMPED NEAR A SPRING. THE WOODS ARE NOT HEAVY, BUT THE TREES ARE LARGE AND TALL. THE UNDERGROWTH IS NOT THICK EXCEPT IN THE FLOOR OF THE VALLEY.

AFTER LUNCH, I LOOKED ABOUT FOR GOOD COLLECTING PLACES, AND ENDED UP CLIMBING THE HILL. IT IS QUITE STEEP, AND IT TOOK ME 2 HRS TO GO UP. IT IS THE HIGHEST POINT IN THIS VICINITY, HOWEVER, AND PRESENTS AN ADMIRABLE VIEW. THE NATIVES SAY THAT ON A GOOD DAY ONE CAN SEE BOTH MANZANILLO AND GUADALAJARA FROM IT. I COULDN'T.

I FOUND A [??GERRENOTUS ??] IMBRICATUS AT AN ALTITUDE OF 9200 FT., UNDER A LOG.

HELMUT CAUGHT AN ANOLIS FOR ME AT THE CAMP THIS A.M. BEFORE WE LEFT FOR UPHILL.

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APRIL 13 1949 - SIERRA DE AUTLAN

This area, although wet, has been heavily burned over recently - within 2 years or less, I would judge, and burned hard. All of the logs are burned some [unclear]croar taru[/unclear]. I believe that this heavy and according to Indians, repeated burning is very detrimental to [unclear]help[/unclear] stuff. I think it cleans it out of the area, and they are awfully slow to come back. It may explain the paucity of material here. Anyway, I worked hard all day, and got nothing at all.

Helmut got me another [unclear]Geramonotus[/unclear] on the mountain, however, so the day wasn't wasted.

APRIL 14 1949 - SIERRA DE AUTLAN

Worked southeast of camp along the streambed, finding many very good places for specimens, wonderful habitats, and so on. After a full morning's work I caught a Salvapoar drinking at a small pool of water in a dry section of the creek. It is amazing that such good typical habitat can be so barren of specimens.

Went downstream in the afternoon and met Bob Wilbur, all excited. He had found salamanders in the stream. He had two for me, and they were Gilled Ambystbma. Theye were living in the quiet pools formed occasionally by the rapidly flowing stream. I collected a couple more, and went to camp to make a dip net to facilitate getting a series. The thing is undoubtedly new.

Bob also killed a Thamnopnis for me which had been lying alongside a pool. He also got a Hyla from a tree he cut down.

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APRIL 14 1949 - SIERRA DE AUTLAN (continued)

I fashioned a dip net out of cheesecloth and spent the night catching a series of the Aribystomb. After getting the adults I found Juveniles in muddy pools upstream, and I got a few of them. There seems to be no sign of sexual activity at this time, and the Juveniles may be from this year's hatch, which would give them enough time to grow up before the rains and heavy swollen streams appear.

APRIL 15 1949 - SIERRA DE AUTLAN

Spent the morning preparing the salamanders. I tried a new technique, in order to get a full tail, with outstanding fins and gills. It worked quite well. Instead of using a pan to fix them, I dropped them in a large can of formalin, with nothing to touch them. The gills flared out and the tail fin was fully expanded. They fixed that way fairly well. The same thing worked fairly well for the Juveniles I have.

Helmut and I went out and took pictures of the pools this P.M. He went to a lot of trouble and hard work, and I think they'll be fine. I then collected a few more of the salamanders, took notes on them and their habitat and so on. The botanists brought in a scelop? and a Storeria from the top of the mountain, and Helmut brought in a Storeria he found on the trail. The Storeria key to Storerioides, but they sure don't look like the one I got on Colima. These Autlan specimens will all bear closer checking.