Oxyrhopus petola

Oxyrhopus petola
At Yasuni National Park, Ecuador
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Xenodontinae
Genus: Oxyrhopus
Species: O. petola
Binomial name
Oxyrhopus petola
(Linnaeus, 1758)[1]
Synonyms

Oxyrhopus petola, commonly known as the false coral, is a species of colubrid snake endemic to South America.[5] According to Savage (2011) the correct scientific name should be Oxyrhopus petolarius.[4]

Common names

Other common names include calico snake[1] and forest flame snake.[3]

Geographic range

It is found in northern South America, including Trinidad and Tobago.[5]

Description

Adults may attain a total length of 91 cm (36 in), which includes a tail 22 cm (8.7 in) long.[2]

Coloration is variable. It usually consists of some combination of red and black rings or crossbands. In some individuals the light-colored crossbands are white instead of red on the anterior part of the body.[2]

The dorsal scales are smooth, with apical pits, and are arranged in 19 rows at midbody.[2]

Venom

The species is rear-fanged, and its saliva is extremely toxic to Anolis lizards.[5]

Diet

Oxyrhopus petola feeds on lizards, frogs, small rodents, birds, and probably other snakes.[5]

Subspecies

Some authorities recognize three subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). http://www.itis.gov.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ),... Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, Printers.) London. xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I.- XXV. (Oxyrhopus petolarius, pp. 101-103.)
  3. 3.0 3.1 The Reptile Database. http://www.reptile-database.org.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Savage, J.M. (2011). "The correct species-group name for an Oxyrhopus (Squamata: Dipsadidae) variously called Coluber petalarius, C. pethola, C. petola, or C. petolarius by early authors". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 124: 223–225. doi:10.2988/11-06.1.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Boos, Hans E.A. (2001). The Snakes of Trinidad and Tobago. Texas A&M University Press. College Station, Texas. xvi + 328 pp. ISBN 1-58544-116-3.
  6. Freiberg, M. 1982. Snakes of South America. T.F.H. Publications. Hong Kong. 189 pp. ISBN 0-87666-912-7. (Oxyrhopus petola, p. 105.)

Further reading

External links