Oxyrhopus petolarius

Oxyrhopus petolarius, commonly known as the false coral, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to South America.[6] There are three recognized subspecies.

Oxyrhopus petolarius
Dapa, Colombia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Oxyrhopus
Species:
O. petolarius
Binomial name
Oxyrhopus petolarius
Synonyms

Taxonomy and nomenclature

According to Savage (2011) the correct scientific name should be Oxyrhopus petolarius.[5]

Common names

Other common names for O. petolarius include calico snake[2] and forest flame snake.[4]

Geographic range

O. petolarius is found in central and northern South America, including Trinidad and Tobago.[6]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of O. petolarius are forest and savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft).[1]

Description

Adults of O. petolarius may attain a total length of 91 cm (36 in), which includes a tail 22 cm (8.7 in) long.[3]

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.[3]

The dorsal scales are smooth, with apical pits, and are arranged in 19 rows at midbody.[3]

Venom

O. petolarius is rear-fanged, and its venom is extremely toxic to anole lizards.[6]

Diet

O. petolarius feeds on lizards, frogs, small rodents, birds, and probably other snakes.[6]

Reproduction

O. petolarius is oviparous.[4]

Subspecies

Some authorities recognize three subspecies of O. petolarius, including the nominotypical subspecies.

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Oxyrhopus.

Etymology

The subspecific name, sebae, is in honor of Dutch naturalist Albertus Seba.[8]

References
  1. Chaves G, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Gagliardi G, Gonzales L, Gutiérrez-Cárdenas P, Köhler G, Lamar W, Nogueira C, Porras LW, Rivas G, Solórzano A, Murphy J (2019). "Oxyrhopus petolarius ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T198391A2524138. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T198391A2524138.en. Downloaded on 22 March 2020.
  2. "Oxyrhopus petola ". ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). https://www.itis.gov.
  3. Boulenger GA (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ),... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, Printers.) xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I-XXV. (Oxyrhopus petolarius, pp. 101-103).
  4. "Oxyrhopus petolarius ". The Reptile Database. http://www.reptile-database.org.
  5. Savage JM (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 (3): 223–225. doi:10.2988/11-06.1.
  6. Boos, Hans E.A. (2001). The Snakes of Trinidad and Tobago. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press. xvi + 328 pp. ISBN 1-58544-116-3.
  7. Freiberg M (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. ISBN 0-87666-912-7. (Oxyrhopus petola, p. 105).
  8. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Oxyrhopus petola sebae, p. 240).

Further reading
  • Duméril A-M-C, Bibron G, Duméril A[-H-A] (1854). Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. Deuxième partie. Comprenant l'histoire des serpents venimeux [= General Herpetology or Complete Natural History of the Reptiles. Volume 7. Part 2. Containing the Natural Histories of the Venomous Snakes]. Paris: Roret. xii + pp. 781–1536. (Oxyrhopus petolarius, pp. 1033–1036). (in French).
  • Linnaeus C (1758). Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, diferentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio Decima, Reformata. Stockholm: L. Salvius. 824 pp. (Coluber petola, new species, p. 225; Coluber petolarius, new species, p. 225). (in Latin).
  • Reuss A (1834). "Zoologische Miscellen. Reptilien, Ophidier ". Mus. Senckenbergiana, Frankfurt 1: 129–162. (Coluber digitalis, new species, p. 148 + Plate IX, figure 1). (in German).
  • MacCulloch RD, Lathrop A, Kok PJR, Ernst R, Kalamandeen M (2009). "The genus Oxyrhopus (Serpentes: Dipsadidae: Xenodontinae) in Guyana: morphology, distributions and comments on taxonomy". Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 49 (36): 487–495.


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