Oxyrhopus guibei
| Oxyrhopus guibei | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Dipsadidae |
| Genus: | Oxyrhopus |
| Species: | O. guibei |
| Binomial name | |
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Oxyrhopus guibei and Romano, 1977 |
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| Synonyms | |
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Oxyrhopus guibei is a species of colubrid snake. It is often called the false coral snake, but this common name can refer to any of a long list of other species, genera, and even entire families of snakes. Many nonvenomous snakes have evolved coloration that mimics that of venomous true coral snakes, a trait which helps them avoid predation.
The specific name, guibei, is in honor of French herpetologist Jean Guibé.
This species is native to central sections of South America, in parts of Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.
This species has been described as common to abundant.
It can reach 1 m (3.3 ft) to 1.25 m (4.1 ft) in total length (body + tail). Females can reach much larger sizes than males.
Common habitat includes forest edges. It can be found out in the open. The snake is sometimes seen near human activity and habitation, for example, on farms and in backyards.
This snake is mostly nocturnal, but is sometimes out basking during the day. It spends most of its time on the ground, but it will climb trees at times.
Its diet includes rodents, lizards, and other small animals. Rodent prey items include rats (Rattus sp.), the hairy-tailed bolo mouse (Necromys lasiurus), the house mouse (Mus musculus), the small vesper mouse (Calomys laucha), the delicate vesper mouse (Calomys tener), and hocicudos (Oxymycterus sp.). It will eat the lizard Tropidurus itambere and it has been observed taking white-tipped dove nestlings (Leptotila sp.). Lizards it will swallow alive but rodents it often constricts first.
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Wikipedia