Spilotes sulphureus, commonly known as the yellow-bellied hissing snake or Amazon puffing snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Colubridae. It is widely distributed throughout South America, as well as the Caribbean island of Trinidad.[3]
| Spilotes sulphureus | |
|---|---|
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| Spilotes sulphureus in defensive posture at Murici Ecological Station, Brazil | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Spilotes |
| Species: | S. sulphureus
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| Binomial name | |
| Spilotes sulphureus (Wagler, 1824)
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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Taxonomy
editOriginally placed in the genus Pseustes, it is now considered in the genus Spilotes.
Subspecies
editTwo subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.[2]
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was original described in a genus other than Spilotes.
Description
editS. sulphureus is a large snake, which can grow up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) in total length (including tail).[3] Its venom is bimodal and can directly affect both mammal and reptile prey.[4]
Diet
editAdults of S. sulphureus feed on small mammals, birds and other snakes (both venomous and non-venomous), while juveniles feed on lizards, mice and rats.[3]
References
edit- ^ Gutiérrez-Cárdenas, Paul D.A.; Rivas, Gilson A.; Caicedo-Portilla, José R.; Gagliardi-Urrutia, Giuseppe; Gonzales A., Lucindo; Nogueira, Cristiano de Campos; Murphy, John C. "Spilotes sulphureus (Yellow-bellied Hissing Snake)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: e.T15183770A15183779. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T15183770A15183779.en. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ a b ""Spilotes sulphureus (WAGLER, 1824)". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Boos, Hans E.A. (2001). The Snakes of Trinidad and Tobago (PDF). College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 1-58544-116-3.
- ^ Modahl, Cassandra M.; Mrinalini, null; Frietze, Seth; Mackessy, Stephen P. (2018). "Adaptive evolution of distinct prey-specific toxin genes in rear-fanged snake venom". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 285 (1884): 20181003. doi:10.1098/rspb.2018.1003. PMC 6111164. PMID 30068680.
Further reading
edit- Boulenger GA (1894). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xi + 382 pp. + Plates I-XX. (Phrynonax sulphureus, p. 19).
- Freiberg M (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. ISBN 0-87666-912-7. (Pseustes sulphureus, p. 108 + color photo, p. 151).
- Jadin, Robert C.; Burbrink, Frank T,; Rivas, Gilson A.; Vitt, Laurie J; Barrio-Amorós, César L.; Guralnick, Robert P. (2013). "Finding arboreal snakes in an evolutionary tree: phylogenetic placement and systematic revision of the Neotropical birdsnakes". Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 52 (3); 257–264. (Spilotes sulphureus, new combination).
- Wagler J (1824). In Spix J (1824). Serpentum Brasiliensum species novae ou histoire naturelle des espèces nouvelles de serpens, recueillies et observées pendant le voyage dans l'intérieur du Brésil dans les années 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820, exécuté par ordre de sa Majesté le Roi de Baviére. Munich: F.S. Hübschmann. viii + 75 pp. + Plates I-XXVI. (Natrix sulphurea, new species, pp. 26–27 + Plate IX). (in Latin and French).