Clelia scytalina

Clelia scytalina, commonly known as the Mexican snake eater[2] or zopilota de altura (highland mussarana),[3] is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the New World.

Clelia scytalina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Clelia
Species:
C. scytalina
Binomial name
Clelia scytalina
(Cope, 1867)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Scolecophis scytalinus
    Cope, 1867
  • Oxyrhopus proximus
    Bocourt, 1897
  • Clelia clelia immaculata
    H.M. Smith, 1942
  • Clelia scytalina
    — Stuart, 1963

Geographic range

C. scytalina is found in Southern Mexico, Central America, and Colombia.[2]

Description

The head of C. scytalina is somewhat distinct from the neck. The eye is moderate in size, with a vertically elliptical pupil. The body is cylindrical, and the tail is moderately long.[3]

The smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 17 rows at midbody.[3]

The coloration of juveniles is completely different from that of adults. Juveniles have a black head, a yellow or white nuchal crossband (collar), and a red body. Juveniles are often mistaken for coral snakes and killed.[3] Adults are uniform bluish black dorsally, and cream-colored ventrally.[4]

Habitat

C. scytalina is a terrestrial animal which inhabits old-growth and second-growth forests and their borders. Occasionally it is found in open areas in submontane and montane life zones.[3]

Diet

Like other species of mussurana, C. scytalina is known to feed on other snakes.[3]

Reproduction

Clelia scytalina is oviparous (egg-laying).[3]

gollark: So it should be fine.
gollark: The maximum range is ~400 blocks I think?
gollark: Wireless modem packets contain the distance (in CC and maaaaybe OC? I don't know) so if you have a setup of 4 computers with known positions which give their positions when pinged, you can find your own position given those positions and distances.
gollark: Basically, it uses trilateration.
gollark: No, I mean the way CC does it, not actually with CC.

References
  1. "Clelia scytalina ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  2. "Clelia scytalina (Cope, 1867)" at the Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org. Consulted: 22 April 2012.
  3. Muñoz Chacón, Federico. (2000) Clelia scytalina (Cope, 1867) Archived 2014-01-10 at the Wayback Machine. INBio (Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad ), Costa Rica. Consulted: 22 April 2012.
  4. Savage JM (2002). The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. xx + 945 pp. ISBN 0-226-73537-0. (Clelia scytalina, p. 574).

Further reading
  • Cope ED (1867). "Fifth Contribution to the HERPETOLOGY of Tropical America". Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 18 ["1866"]: 317–323. (Scolecophis scytalinus, new species, p. 320.).
  • Muñoz Chacón, Federico; Johnston, Richard Dennis (2013). Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Pocket Guide. Ithaca, New York: Comstock. 170 pp. ISBN 0801478693.


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