Amaral's ground snake explained

Amaral's ground snake (Caaeteboia amarali) is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Brazil.

Etymology

The specific name, amarali, is in honor of Brazilian herpetologist Afrânio Pompílio Gastos do Amaral.^[1]

Geographic range

C. amarali is found in eastern Brazil, in the Brazilian states of Bahia, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, and Santa Catarina.

Description

C. amarali is a small-sized, aglyphous, slender snake with a moderately long tail.^[2]

Behavior

C. amarali is diurnal, partly arboreal, and exhibits dorsal flattening and cloacal evacuation as defensive behaviors (Marques et al. 2001).^[2]

Diet

The diet of C. amarali consists of frogs and lizards.^[2]

Reproduction

C. amarali is oviparous.^[2]

Further reading

• Freiberg M (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. . (Liophis amarali, p. 102).
• Marques OAV, Eterovic A, Sazima I (2001). Serpentes da Mata Atlântica: Guia Ilustrado para a Serra do Mar. Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil: Holos Editora. 184 pp. (in Portuguese).
• Wettstein O (1930). "Eine neue colubridae Schlange aus Brasilien ". Zoologischer Anzeiger 88: 93–94. (Liophis amarali, new species). (in German).
• Zaher H, Grazzziotin FG, Cadle JE, Murphy RW, Moura-Leite JC, Bonatto SL (2009). "Molecular phylogeny of advanced snakes (Serpentes, Caenophidia) with an emphasis on South American Xenodontines: a revised classification and descriptions of new taxa". Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo 49 (11): 115–153. (Caaeteboia amarali, new combination, p. 144). (in English, with an abstract in Portuguese).

Notes and References

1. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011).The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Liophis amarali, p. 7).
2. Passos. Paulo. Ramos. Luciana. Pereira. Donizete Neves. 2012. Distribution, natural history, and morphology of the rare snake, Caaeteboia amarali (Serpentes: Dipsadidae). Salamandra. 48. 51–57. Researchgate.