Heene, H. 1989 July 3 San Jose, San Jose Province, Costa Rica Arrived here on Laca at ~1530h, noticed again how their pilots make more exciting landings than gringos - we made a complete, tight, low arc and came in for a perfect landing. Spent this morning working on Scotocophis atrocintus and Taritilla annulata in Jay Savage's collection (spent last night w/ he and Becky - promised to send her Darla Hilliard's book about snow leopards). Alejandro Solizano picked me up; told him I really want a live Scotocophis and by coincidence he has one - a big pretty ? from near here! I weighed it after ~1 hr of rehydration and fresh defecation. (200 July 6) I detected his response to handling: great rapid undulation, what a nice surprise! I'd call the light "rings" off-white or creamy, slightly gray; the middorsal stripe is bright deep salmon pink - and suddenly it occurs to me that this color pattern (which I have been considering unique) occurs in some Sonora semionotata. Savitzley thinks Taritilla and Sonora are related, and since Scotocophis looks like a Taritilla w/ a tiny loreal perhaps it and Sonora share some homologous aspect of color pattern. Also visited Alejandro's "Serpentario," which is downtown - an excellent exhibition and gallery of foreign prints.