Thursday, June 30, 2016
Trinidad Snail-eating Snake, Dipsas trinitatis (Family Dipsadidae)
Dipsas
trinitatis Parker 1926: 206.
Dipsas variegata trinitatis — Peters
1960: 139.
Dipsas trinitatis — Harvey 2008.
Size: 638 mm SVL, 165 mm tail; tail 25–36% of the SVL. Identification: Slender, yellow, tan, and brown with 17–24 blotches on the dorsum; head significantly larger than the neck; the only Trinidad snake lacking a mental groove on the chin. Crown dark brown, sides of head tan, with dark brown pigment on seams of labials. Similar species: Perhaps most easily confused with Sibon nebulata that is similar in body and head shape but is gray or brown and white and has a mental groove. Rostral barely visible from above; smooth scales in 15 rows with the vertebral row slightly enlarged, ventrals 168–189, subcaudals divided 81–92. Loreal single, one preocular, two postoculars, 7-9 upper labials, 9-12 lower labials, anal plate single
Distribution: probably endemic to Trinidad but may also occur in the vicinity of Guarico, Venezuela. Habitat: A forest-edge snake that uses habitats disturbed by humans. Biology: Crepuscular, nocturnal; activity is sporadic. Diet: snails that lack an operculum; the snake uses a ratchet-like motion of its lower jaw to remove the snail from the shell.
Dipsas
trinitatis Parker 1926: 206.
Dipsas variegata trinitatis — Peters 1960: 139.
Dipsas trinitatis — Harvey 2008.
Dipsas variegata trinitatis — Peters 1960: 139.
Dipsas trinitatis — Harvey 2008.
Size: 638 mm SVL, 165 mm tail; tail 25–36% of the SVL. Identification: Slender, yellow, tan, and brown with 17–24 blotches on the dorsum; head significantly larger than the neck; the only Trinidad snake lacking a mental groove on the chin. Crown dark brown, sides of head tan, with dark brown pigment on seams of labials. Similar species: Perhaps most easily confused with Sibon nebulata that is similar in body and head shape but is gray or brown and white and has a mental groove. Rostral barely visible from above; smooth scales in 15 rows with the vertebral row slightly enlarged, ventrals 168–189, subcaudals divided 81–92. Loreal single, one preocular, two postoculars, 7-9 upper labials, 9-12 lower labials, anal plate single
Distribution: probably endemic to Trinidad but may also occur in the vicinity of Guarico, Venezuela. Habitat: A forest-edge snake that uses habitats disturbed by humans. Biology: Crepuscular, nocturnal; activity is sporadic. Diet: snails that lack an operculum; the snake uses a ratchet-like motion of its lower jaw to remove the snail from the shell.
Boos, H.E.A. 2001.
The snakes of Trinidad and Tobago. Texas A&M University Press, 270 pp.
Harvey, Michael B.
2008. New and Poorly Known Dipsas (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Northern South
America. Herpetologica 64 (4): 422-451.
Murphy, J.C. 1997.
Amphibians and Reptiles of Trinidad and Tobago. Krieger Publishing, Malabar.
Murphy, J. C. and
M. G. Rutherford. 2014. The first report
of the snail-eating snake Dipsas variegata (Duméril, Bibron and Duméril) on
Trinidad, its relationship to Dipsas trinitatis Parker (Squamata, Dipsadidae),
and a discussion of microcephalic and macrocephalic ecomorphs in Dipsas.
Herpetology Notes 7: 757-760.
Parker, H. W. 1926.
A new snake from Trinidad. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (9) 18: 205-207
Peters, J. A. 1960.
The snakes of the subfamily Dipsadinae. Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool., Univ. Michigan
(114): 224 pp.
Peters, J,A.
Donoso-Barros, R. & Orejas-Miranda B. 1970. Catalogue of the Neotropical
Squamata: Part I Snakes. Part II Lizards and Amphisbaenians. Bull. US Natl.
Mus. 297: 347 pp.
Wallach,
V. K. L. Williams, J. Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living
and Extinct Species. Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
Ruschenberger's Treeboa, Corallus ruschenbergerii (Family Boidae)
Xiphosoma ruschenbergerii Cope 1876: 129.
Xiphosoma ruschenbergii - Boulenger 1893: 99
Corallus cookei var. ruschenbergi - Boettger 1898: 10.
Size. 1.87 m SVL, 2.2 m TL. Description. Deep labial pits, nasal scales in contact, and internasal scales in contact behind the nasals will separate this snake from all other T&T snakes. Body laterally compressed; head wide, distinct from neck. Rostral slightly visible from above; loreal divided; supraoculars and postoculars divided into small scales; 8–13 supralabials, 12–15 infralabials; 252–268 ventrals; anal single; single subcaudals 100–112. Smooth, dorsal scales in 38–45 rows at midbody. Dorsum khaki-brown to yellow-brown. Males with larger anal spurs than females.
Distribution. Costa Rica, to Colombia and northern Venezuela, the Isla de Margarita; and Trinidad, Tobago. Life History. An arboreal, nocturnal, forest and forest-edge boid that occasionally descends to the ground. Readily seen at night using a flashlight and searching the canopy, common in Caroni Swamp and many locations in the Northern Range. Diet includes birds, mice, squirrels, bats, mongoose, porcupine rats, and mouse opossum. Reproduction. Courtship and mating in February; 20–30 young born August.
Acevedo-Charry,
Orlando and Jose Rancés Caicedo-Portilla. 2016. Corallus ruschenbergerii (Rushcenberger Tree Boa) Diet.
Herpetological Review 47 (1): 143-144
Boettger,
O. 1898. Katalog der Reptilien-Sammlung im Museum der Senckenbergischen
Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Frankfurt/M. 2.Teil (Schlangen). Frankfurt/M
(Gebr. Knauer), i-ix + 1-160.
Boos,
H.E.A. 2001. The snakes of Trinidad and Tobago. Texas A&M University Press,
270 pp.
Boulenger,
G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) I. London
(Taylor & Francis), 448 pp.
Briceno-Rossi,
A.L. 1934. El problema del ofidismo en Venezuela. Bol. Min. Salubr. Agric.
Cria, Venezuela, Caracas, 1: 1079-1177
Cope,
E.D. 1875. On the Batrachia and Reptilia of Costa Rica with notes on the
herpetology and ichthyology of Nicaragua and Peru. Journal of the Academy of
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia N.S. (2) 8: 93-183.
Esqueda;
L.F. & E. La Marca. 2004. Geographic Distribution (Serpentes): Corallus ruschenbergerii. Herpetological
Review 35(2):190
Henderson,
R. W. 2002. Neotropical Treeboas. Krieger Publ. Company, Malabar, 198 pp.
Henderson,
R. W., Pauers, M. J. and Colston, T. J. 2013. On the congruence of morphology,
trophic ecology, and phylogeny in Neotropical treeboas (Squamata: Boidae:
Corallus). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 109: 466–475. doi:
10.1111/bij.12052
Henderson,
Robert W. 1997. A Taxonomic Review of the Corallus
hortulanus complex of Neotropical Tree Boas. Carib. J. Sci. 33 (3-4):
198-221.
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Robert W. and Michael J. Pauers 2012. On the Diets of Neotropical Treeboas
(Squamata: Boidae: Corallus). South American Journal of Herpetology 7 (2):
172-180.
Henderson,
Robert W.; Michael J. Pauers and Timothy J. Colston 2013. On the congruence of
morphology, trophic ecology, and phylogeny in Neotropical treeboas (Squamata:
Boidae: Corallus). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, DOI: 10.1111/bij.12052
Kornacker,
Paul M.;Dederichs, Ursula 1998. Herpetologische Eindrücke einer Venezuelareise
- Teil 2: Die Llanos. Elaphe 6 (3): 68-73
Markezich,
A.L. 2002. New distribution records of reptiles from Western Venezuela.
Herpetological Review 33 (1): 69-74. McDiarmid, R.W.; Campbell, J.A. &
Touré,T.A. 1999. Snake species of the world. Vol. 1. Herpetologists’ League,
511 pp.
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Marco; Luis Felipe Esqueda-González & Manuel Castelaín-Fernández 2015.
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S.A., 456 pp.
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& Moreno, A.G. 1988. Ofidios de Colombia. Museo reegionale di Scienze
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Fuenmayor, Gilson and Cesar Luis Barrio Amorós 2005. New Amphibian and Reptile
records from Cojedes State, Venezuela. Herpetological Review 36 (2):205-209.
Sandoval,
Luis and Gerardo Chaves 2014. Corallus
ruschenbergeri. Behavior. Mesoamerican Herpetology 1 (2): 287.
Solórzano, A. 2006. Snakes of the Osa
Peninsula [Costa Rica]. Reptilia (GB) (48): 30-34.
Solórzano,
A. 2006. Die Schlangen der Osa-Halbinsel [Costa Rica]. Reptilia (Münster) 11
(61): 28-31 Stejneger,L. 1902. An annotated list of batrachians and reptiles
collected in the vicinity of La Guaira, Venezuela, with descriptions of two new
species of snakes. Proc. US Natl. Mus. 24 [1901]: 179-192.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Yellow Puffing Snake, Spilotes sulphureus (Family Colubridae)
Natrix sulphurea Wagler 1824: 26
Coluber poecilostoma Wied-Neuwied 1824
Spilotes poecilostoma — Duméril, Bibron
& Duméril 1854: 221
Phrynonax sulphureus — Boulenger 1894:
19
Pseustes sulphureus sulphureus — Beebe
1946: 41
Pseustes sulphureus — Gasc &
Rodrigues 1980
Spilotes sulphureus — Jadin et al. 2013.
Identification: Dorsal scales in 21 rows at mid-body reduced to 13 or 15 posteriorly; all rows keeled except the first two. This is a large black snake that may have yellow cross bands or spots on the anterior body, or the body may be more yellow than black.
Similar species: In Trinidad it is most easily confused with Clelia or Drymarchon, none of these have dorsal scales in 21 rows. Rostral visible from above; nasals semi-divided; loreal single; one preocular; three postoculars; eight upper labials, 10 lower labials; ventrals 208−226; single cloacal plate; divided subcaudals 125−145; dorsal scales smooth with apical pits.
Habitat: Forest canopy snake, probably rarely comes to the ground. Biology: Diurnal, mostly arboreal species that is uncommon. Diet includes most vertebrates (reptiles, birds and mammals) it can swallow. Reproduction: Females reported to lay eggs in August with young hatching in October after 84–86 days of incubation.
Boos, H.E.A. 2001. The snakes of Trinidad and
Tobago. Texas A&M University Press, 270 pp.
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equatorial herpetofauna in Amazonian Ecuador. Misc. Publ. Univ. Kans. Mus. Nat.
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T. 2010. Répteis do município de Duque de Caxias, Baixada Fluminense, Rio de
Janeiro, Sudeste do Brasil. Biotemas, 23 (2): 135-144
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Silva-Soares, T. 2010. Reptiles, Squamata, Parque Natural Municipal da Taquara,
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Flat Snake, Siphlophis compressus (Family Dipsadidae)
Coluber compressus Daudin 1803: 247.
Trypanurgos compressus — Beebe 1946: 43.
Tripanurgos compressus — Peters & Orejas-Miranda 1970:
311.
Siphlophis compressus — Zaher & Prudente 1999.
Type locality: Surinam.
Distribution: In Central America from Costa Rica to Panama, southward into Colombia, Ecuador and
Peru and eastward into Venezuela, Trinidad, and the Guianas and southward into Brazil.
This is a semi-arboreal snake that specializes in feeding on lizards. Mainland populations are frequently observed in arboreal habitats. On Trinidad most of the specimens we observed were on the ground at night or in the early morning hours.
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T. Geziana Silva SN, N Lúcia da Costa Prudente and OAV Marques 2011. New
records and geographical distribution of the Tropical Banded Treesnake
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Hemipenial morphology of the South American xenodontine snakes, with a proposal
for a monophyletic Xenodontinae and a reappraisal of colubrid hemipenes. Bull.
Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 240: 1-168.Zaher, H. & Prudente, A.L.C. 2003. Hemipenes
of Siphlophis (Serpentes,
Xenodontinae) and techniques of hemipenial preparation in snakes: a response to
Dowling. Herpetological Review 34 (4): 302-307Zaher,H. & Prudente, L.C.
1999. Intraspecific variation of the hemipenis in Siphlophis and Tripanurgos.
Journal of Herpetology 33 (4): 698-702.
Black Cribo or Mussurana, Clelia clelia (Family Dipsadidae)
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By Geoff Gallice (https://www.flickr.com/photos/dejeuxx/) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/dejeuxx/8707497983/in/set-72157631616756321, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36616142
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Coluber clelia Daudin 1803: 330
Brachyruton cloelia — Duméril, Bibron & Duméril 1854: 1007
Oxyrhopus clelia — Cope 1878: 33
Oxyrhopus cloelia — Garman 1884: 19
Pseudoboa cloelia - Serié 1921
Clelia clelia clelia - Dunn 1944
Clelia clelia groomei Greer 1965
Size: 1.5 m, exceeds 2 meters; hatchlings 230 mm; tail 24% of SVL.
Distribution. Currently considered a widespread species in Central America fro Honduras southward to Panama and into South America as far south as northeast Argentina.
Identification: Black with white belly, 19 scale rows at mid-body, reduced to 17 rows in front of the vent, a single anal plate, and divided subcaudal scales. Juveniles have a black head, a white or yellow collar and a red body with each scale containing a black spot. Perhaps most easily confused with its close relative Pseudoboa neuwiedii which has the juvenile coloration seen in this species. But Pseudoboa has single subcaudal scales, and another close relative Oxyrhopus petola which can be solid black has a loreal scale that is about as wide as it is long; Clelia's loreal scale is greatly elongated. Rostral visible from above; nasal divided; one preocular, loreal present in two Trinidad specimens (maybe absent); two postoculars; seven upper labials; six to eight lower labials; ventrals 218−225; cloacal plate single; 62−76 paired subcaudals. Dorsal scales smooth.
Habitat: Terrestrial, inhabits forests and savannas, often near water.Biology: Nocturnal. Diet: almost exclusively ectotherms, subdued with a combination of venom and constriction; includes: Ameiva, Boa, Bothrops, Corallus, and Spilotes. Mammals may also be eaten, including opossums. Eggs number 16−40. Other common names: Vidua, Black cribo, Cribo, Mustarungua, Vidue.
Brachyruton cloelia — Duméril, Bibron & Duméril 1854: 1007
Oxyrhopus clelia — Cope 1878: 33
Oxyrhopus cloelia — Garman 1884: 19
Pseudoboa cloelia - Serié 1921
Clelia clelia clelia - Dunn 1944
Clelia clelia groomei Greer 1965
Friday, June 24, 2016
Checkered-bellied Snake, Siphlophis cervinus (Family Dipsadidae)
Coronella cervina Laurenti 1768: 88.
Siphlophis cervinus cervinus — Beebe 1946: 42.
Ranges from Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad eastward to the Guianas and Brazil and southward to Bolivia and Peru. A poorly known, highly secretive, nocturnal snake that specializes in feeding on lizards. Size: 634 mm SVL, 173 mm tail; tail 27−32% of the SVL; maximum TL 1.3 m. A very distinctive serpent with a wide head and slender body, a pink to red vertebral stripe, with yellow and black bars on the sides of the body. Rostral visible from above with rounded edge; nasals single; elongate, single loreal; one preocular; two postoculars; 7–9 upper labials; 8–9 lower labial, fourth and fifth enlarged; 240–273 ventrals; anal plate single; 97–116 paired subcaudals. Smooth dorsal scales in 19 rows at mid-body, reduced to 15–17 posteriorly. Dorsum pink to red; head and nape red scales with black-edges; black collar present; black bars, spots, or chevrons distributed over the dorsum and separated by yellow or white with scales that are black tipped; venter and first and second scale rows yellow or white with black spots or bars, giving the underside a checkered appearance. Arboreal in forest and forest-edge habitats. Known to produce clutches of 3-6 eggs.
Siphlophis cervinus cervinus — Beebe 1946: 42.
Ranges from Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad eastward to the Guianas and Brazil and southward to Bolivia and Peru. A poorly known, highly secretive, nocturnal snake that specializes in feeding on lizards. Size: 634 mm SVL, 173 mm tail; tail 27−32% of the SVL; maximum TL 1.3 m. A very distinctive serpent with a wide head and slender body, a pink to red vertebral stripe, with yellow and black bars on the sides of the body. Rostral visible from above with rounded edge; nasals single; elongate, single loreal; one preocular; two postoculars; 7–9 upper labials; 8–9 lower labial, fourth and fifth enlarged; 240–273 ventrals; anal plate single; 97–116 paired subcaudals. Smooth dorsal scales in 19 rows at mid-body, reduced to 15–17 posteriorly. Dorsum pink to red; head and nape red scales with black-edges; black collar present; black bars, spots, or chevrons distributed over the dorsum and separated by yellow or white with scales that are black tipped; venter and first and second scale rows yellow or white with black spots or bars, giving the underside a checkered appearance. Arboreal in forest and forest-edge habitats. Known to produce clutches of 3-6 eggs.
Black-headed Snake, Tantilla melanocephala (Family Colubridae)
Writing about variation in ventrals in the West Indies they state, “Trinidad is 18 to 19 kilometres from the nearest point on the mainland of Venezuela in the north and = 13 kilometres in the south (across the delta of the Orinoco River) and Tobago is 28 to 29 kilometres from the nearest point on Trinidad (near Toco). The differences in ventral counts between specimens from Trinidad and adjacent Venezuela, compared to specimens from Trinidad and Tobago, are striking. Mean ventral numbers in Trinidad are lower by approximately 8 to 15 scales than specimens from adjacent Venezuela. On Tobago, ventral numbers again increase markedly over those in Trinidad and are even higher than those from mainland Venezuela. In fact, only specimens from upper Central America have higher ventrals than those of specimens from Tobago. The mean for ventrals for Trinidad males is 20.2 scales lower than that for Tobagan males. Comparable figures for females are not available, but the count for the single Tobagan female is 9 scales above the highest count for Trinidad females. Ventral numbers decrease in the Guianas (material available only from Guyana and Surinam) as compared to adjacent areas in Venezuela, as well as in Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay, but increase again in Argentina (the pattern in the latter 4 countries is poorly understood due to the paucity of material).”
Thus, it seems highly unlikely that Tantilla melanocephala is a single, widespread species. The ventral counts given by Wilson and Mena for Trinidad (137- 152 in males and 147-159 in females) do not even overlap with their numbers for Tobago (157-160 for males and 168 for a single female).
Beach Runner, Cnemidophorus lemniscatus (Family Teiidae)
Lacerta lemniscata Linnaeus 1758: 209
Cnemidophorus lemniscatus — Duméril & Bibron 1839: 129.
Other common names: striped runner, foot-shaker.
Size: 91 (34−91) mm male SVL; 63 (47−75) mm female; tails are 2.1−2.2 times the SVL. Identification: A bright green and yellow striped lizard with spots; head longer than broad; narrow snout rounded from above and in profile; rostral pentagonal; nostrils lateral, nasal scales extend dorsally behind rostral and make contact on the midline; frontonasals scales are hexagonal; the frontoparietals are quadrangular and meet on the midline; supraoculars 4−7, separated from 5−7 supraciliaries by one or two rows of granular scales; suboculars 3−5; preoculars absent; postoculars form a row of 3−4 small scales; ear opening large, tympanum visible. Dorsal and lateral scales are granular; ventral scales smooth, rectangular; in eight longitudinal rows and about 30 transverse rows. Most easily confused with Ameiva atrigularis, but that species has 10 longitudinal rows of ventral plates, and attains a larger Size: Smooth ventral scales distinguishing it from Kentropyx, which has 14 transverse rows of keeled ventral scales. Ten light dorsolateral stripes 3−4 scale rows wide, each separated by a dark stripe 5−9 scales wide. Scales around midbody 123 and 124 in two specimens; ventral scales 29 and 31 transverse rows in two specimens. Anterior dorsal surface of front legs covered with plate-like scales that overlap; granular scales cover the rest of the legs. Hind legs with overlapping plate-like scales on the anterior and ventral surfaces, granular scales dorsally and posteriorly. Scales on tail quadrangular, overlapping and keeled. Fingers compressed with 15−17 lamellae on fourth digit; toes compressed with 30−33 lamellae on fourth digit. Live females have a brown back with white stripes and dorsolateral stripes are green on the anterior; anterior venter of females is white, posteriorly it is green-yellow; females also have a brown tail. Males have lateral stripes that are replaced by 2−3 rows of white spots, posteriorly the dorsolateral region is blue-green, and the tail is blue. Both sexes have the ventral surface of the tail colored blue or green.
Distribution: A disjunct distribution from Central America to northern Brazil, including Trinidad (including Chacachacare and Huevos islands), Tobago, Little Tobago; present on some islands off north central Venezuela, west of Trinidad & Tobago. It has been introduced into Florida. C. lemniscatus is a species complex containing several cryptic and sibling species and clones. The Trinidad and Tobago populations are bisexual.
Habitat: A beach-savanna lizard that will enter forest and colonize open sunny areas; forage on open ground using bushy areas for shelter; abundant along Manzanilla Bay Beach and at Icacos Beach; use burrows for shelter, one burrow examined was 17−20 cm in depth.
Biology: Diurnal. Diet: Arthropods, mostly insects but also earthworms, flowers of Portulaca. Predators. hawks, the snake Oxybelis aeneus, and the tegu lizard, Tupinambis. Ameiva will chase Cnemidophorus, this may be attempted predation, or competition for territory. Cnemidophorus stop abruptly between spurts of rapid, often bipedal, locomotion; they will lift one of their front legs and vibrate or wave their feet; this may represent a territorial display, or have other social significance.
Lacerta lemniscata Linnaeus 1758: 209
Cnemidophorus lemniscatus — Duméril & Bibron 1839: 129.
Other common names: striped runner, foot-shaker.
Size: 91 (34−91) mm male SVL; 63 (47−75) mm female; tails are 2.1−2.2 times the SVL. Identification: A bright green and yellow striped lizard with spots; head longer than broad; narrow snout rounded from above and in profile; rostral pentagonal; nostrils lateral, nasal scales extend dorsally behind rostral and make contact on the midline; frontonasals scales are hexagonal; the frontoparietals are quadrangular and meet on the midline; supraoculars 4−7, separated from 5−7 supraciliaries by one or two rows of granular scales; suboculars 3−5; preoculars absent; postoculars form a row of 3−4 small scales; ear opening large, tympanum visible. Dorsal and lateral scales are granular; ventral scales smooth, rectangular; in eight longitudinal rows and about 30 transverse rows. Most easily confused with Ameiva atrigularis, but that species has 10 longitudinal rows of ventral plates, and attains a larger Size: Smooth ventral scales distinguishing it from Kentropyx, which has 14 transverse rows of keeled ventral scales. Ten light dorsolateral stripes 3−4 scale rows wide, each separated by a dark stripe 5−9 scales wide. Scales around midbody 123 and 124 in two specimens; ventral scales 29 and 31 transverse rows in two specimens. Anterior dorsal surface of front legs covered with plate-like scales that overlap; granular scales cover the rest of the legs. Hind legs with overlapping plate-like scales on the anterior and ventral surfaces, granular scales dorsally and posteriorly. Scales on tail quadrangular, overlapping and keeled. Fingers compressed with 15−17 lamellae on fourth digit; toes compressed with 30−33 lamellae on fourth digit. Live females have a brown back with white stripes and dorsolateral stripes are green on the anterior; anterior venter of females is white, posteriorly it is green-yellow; females also have a brown tail. Males have lateral stripes that are replaced by 2−3 rows of white spots, posteriorly the dorsolateral region is blue-green, and the tail is blue. Both sexes have the ventral surface of the tail colored blue or green.
Distribution: A disjunct distribution from Central America to northern Brazil, including Trinidad (including Chacachacare and Huevos islands), Tobago, Little Tobago; present on some islands off north central Venezuela, west of Trinidad & Tobago. It has been introduced into Florida. C. lemniscatus is a species complex containing several cryptic and sibling species and clones. The Trinidad and Tobago populations are bisexual.
Habitat: A beach-savanna lizard that will enter forest and colonize open sunny areas; forage on open ground using bushy areas for shelter; abundant along Manzanilla Bay Beach and at Icacos Beach; use burrows for shelter, one burrow examined was 17−20 cm in depth.
Biology: Diurnal. Diet: Arthropods, mostly insects but also earthworms, flowers of Portulaca. Predators. hawks, the snake Oxybelis aeneus, and the tegu lizard, Tupinambis. Ameiva will chase Cnemidophorus, this may be attempted predation, or competition for territory. Cnemidophorus stop abruptly between spurts of rapid, often bipedal, locomotion; they will lift one of their front legs and vibrate or wave their feet; this may represent a territorial display, or have other social significance.
Long-tailed Machete Savane, Chironius (Macrops) septentrionalis (Family Colubridae)
Chironius septentrionalis — Hollis 2006:445.
Size. Males to 1.1 m SVL, total length 1.8 m. Females to 1.2 m SVL, total length of 1.9 m. Diagnosis. This gracile, olive green species is morphologically cryptic with C. carinatus. However, this species has a higher ventral count (161–174) and subcaudal count (161–179) as well as a proportionally longer tail than C. carinatus.
Distribution is restricted to the Caribbean Coastal Range of northern Venezuela and Trinidad. All of the Trinidad specimens are from the Northern Range, and its foothills. Life History inhabits lowland areas, probably using forests and forest edge habitats, it is diurnal. Diet is mostly on frogs. Reproduction. Females reported with clutches of 2–4 eggs.
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