Oxyrhopus petola

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Oxyrhopus petola
File:Oxyrhopus petola -Yasuni National Park, Ecuador-8.jpg
At Yasuni National Park, Ecuador
Scientific classification
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O. petola
Binomial name
Oxyrhopus petola
Synonyms

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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 Central and 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 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  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

  • Duméril, A.M.C., G. Bibron, and A.H.A. Duméril. 1854. Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. Deuxième partie. Roret. Paris. xii + pp. 781–1536. (Oxyrhopus petolarius, pp. 1033–1036.)
  • Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, diferentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio Decima, Reformata. L. Salvius. Stockholm. 824 pp. (Coluber petola, p. 225.)
  • Reuss, A. 1834. Zoologische Miscellen. Reptilien, Ophidier. Mus. Senckenbergiana, Frankfurt 1: 129-162. (Coluber digitalis, p. 148 + Plate IX., Figure 1.)
  • MacCulloch, R.D., A. Lathrop, P.J.R. Kok, R. Ernst and M. Kalamandeen. 2009. The genus Oxyrhopus (Serpentes: Dipsadidae: Xenodontinae) in Guyana: morphology, distributions and comments on taxonomy. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 49 (36): 487–495.

External links


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