List of snakes of Trinidad and Tobago explained

Forty-seven species of snake have been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago, making the snake population of this area the most diverse in the Caribbean. Forty-four of these snake species are found in Trinidad and twenty-one in Tobago. Many of these species are South American, most of which are present in Venezuela. Trinidad and Tobago consists of two main islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and several smaller islands. The Bocas Islands, which lie between Trinidad and Venezuela, in the Bocas del Dragón (Dragon's Mouths), consist of Chacachacare, Monos, Huevos and Gaspar Grande. Several smaller islands lie off Trinidad, but snakes have been recorded on only one of them, Caledonia Island. Snakes have been recorded on one island off Tobago, Little Tobago. Four species are venomous: two coral snake species (Micrurus spp.[1]), the fer-de-lance (Bothrops atrox) and the South American bushmaster (Lachesis muta). The common coral (Micrurus fulvius) is found on at least two of the Bocas Islands: Gaspar Grande and Monos. No venomous snakes inhabit Tobago.

Anomalepididae

Anomalepididae is a family of nonvenomous snakes native to Central and South America. They are similar to Typhlopidae, except that some species possess a single tooth in the lower jaw. One possible species has been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago.

Leptotyphlopidae

Leptotyphlopidae is a family of snakes found in North and South America, Africa, and Asia. All are fossorial and adapted to burrowing, feeding on ants and termites. One species has been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago.

Typhlopidae

Typhlopidae is a family of blind snakes found mostly in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia and the Americas. Two species have been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago.

Typhlopidae
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Amerotyphlops brongersmianusBrongersma's worm snake[5]
Amerotyphlops trinitatus[6] [7] Trinidad burrowing snake

Aniliidae

Aniliidae is a monotypic family created for the monotypic genus Anilius, which means that there is only one species in the entire family. This species is A. scytale, found in South America.

Boidae

Boidae is a family of non-venomous snakes found in America, Africa, Europe, Asia and some Pacific Islands, containing the boas. Four species have been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago.

Boidae
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Boa constrictor constrictor Macajuel, boa constrictor[10] [11]
Corallus ruschenbergeriiCascabel dormillon; Cook's tree boa[12]
Epicrates cenchria maurusRainbow boa[13] [14]
Eunectes murinus gigas Green anaconda[15]

Family Colubridae

Colubridae is a family of snakes comprising about two thirds of all snake species on earth. Colubrid species are found on every continent, except Antarctica.[16] Species from three subfamilies are found in Trinidad and Tobago.

Subfamily Xenodontinae

Xenodontinae is a subfamily of snakes within the family Colubridae that includes mud snakes and New World hognose snakes.

Xenodontinae
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Liophis cobellus cobellusMangrove snake, mangrove mapepire[17]
Liophis melanotus nesos[18] Beh belle chemin, doctor snake[19]
Liophis reginae zweifeli High woods coral[20]
Oxyrhopus petola petolaFalse coral[21]
Pseudoboa neuwiediiRatonel[22] [23]
Siphlophis cervinus Checkerbelly[24]
Siphlophis compressus Tropical flat snake
Thamnodynastes ramonriveroiStriped swamp snake[25] [26]
Tripanurgos compressusMapepire de fe, false coral[27]

Subfamily Dipsadinae

Dipsadinae is a subfamily of snakes within the family Colubridae that includes cat-eyed snakes, night snakes, and black-striped snakes.

Dipsadinae
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Atractus fuliginosusHallowell's ground snake[28]
Atractus trilineatusThree-lined ground snake[29] ?[30]
Atractus cf. univittatus[31] Tobago one-lined snake[32]
Clelia clelia cleliaBlack cribo, mussurana[33] [34]
Dipsas variegata trinitatis[35] Snail-eating snake[36]
Erythrolamprus aesculapii[37] False coral[38]
Erythrolamprus bizona[39] False coral[40]
Erythrolamprus cobellaMangrove snake[41]
Erythrolamprus melanotusBlack-backed snake
Erythrolamprus ocellatus[42] Tobago false coral, red snake[43]
Erythrolamprus pseudoreginaeTobago stream snake[44]
Erythrolamprus zweifeliZweifel's ground snake[45]
Helicops angulatus Water mapepire, brown-banded water snake[46]
Hydrops triangularis neglectusWater coral[47]
Imantodes cenchoa cenchoa Mapepire corde violon, fiddle-string snake[48]
Leptodeira annulata ashmeadi False mapepire, cat-eyed night snake[49] [50]
Ninia atrataRed-nape snake, ring neck snake[51]
Ninia franciscoiTrinidad coffeesnake
Sibon nebulata nebulataClouded snake[52] [53]

Subfamily Colubrinae

Colubrinae is the largest subfamily of colubrids, and includes rat snakes, king snakes, milk snakes, vine snakes and indigo snakes.

Colubrinae
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Chironius carinatus carinatusMachete savane, yellow machete[54]
Chironius multiventris septentrionalis Long-tailed machete savane[55]
Chironius scurrulus[56] Smooth machete savane[57]
Drymarchon corais coraisYellow-tailed cribo[58] [59]
Leptophis ahaetulla coeruleodorusLora, parrot snake[60]
Leptophis stimsoni[61] Grey lora[62]
Mastigodryas amaraliAmaral's tropical racer[63]
Mastigodryas boddaerti boddaertiMachete couesse[64] [65]
Mastigodryas boddaerti dunni[66] Machete couesse[67]
Oxybelis rutherfordi Horsewhip[68] [69]
Phrynonax polylepis Olivaceous bird snake, cutlah
Pseustes poecilonotus polylepisDos cocorite[70]
Pseustes sulphureus sulphureus Yellow-bellied puffing snake[71]
Spilotes pullatus pullatusTigre, chicken snake[72]
Tantilla melanocephalaBlack-headed snake[73] [74]

Family Elapidae

Elapidae is a family of venomous snakes found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. Two species are found in Trinidad and Tobago.

Elapidae
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Micrurus diutiusTrinidad ribbon coral snake[75]
Micrurus circinalisLarge coral snake[76] [77] [78] [79]

Family Viperidae

Viperidae is a family of venomous snakes found all over the world, except for Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Madagascar, Hawaii and the Arctic Circle. All have relatively long hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom. Two species are found in Trinidad and Tobago.

width=30% Specieswidth=38% Common namewidth=8% Trinidadwidth=8% Tobagowidth=8% Bocas Is.width=8% Other
Bothrops atrox Mapepire balsain, fer-de-lance[80]
Lachesis muta muta Mapepire zanana, mapepire z'ananas, bushmaster[81]

See also

References

All information is based on Boos (2001) unless otherwise stated.

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. The abbreviation "sp." indicates a single species and the abbreviation "spp." indicates multiple species.
  2. Helminthophis sp. is known from a single collection. It may represent an undescribed species since none of the three described species are known from adjacent portions of Venezuela
  3. Boos (2001), p. 43
  4. http://portugal.inaturalist.org/taxa/32455-Epictia-tenella Epictia tenella · BioDiversity4All
  5. Boos (2001), p. 44
  6. Typhlops trinitatus is endemic to Trinidad and Tobago.
  7. Boos (2001), p. 45
  8. Anilus scytale scytale is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
  9. Boos (2001), p. 46
  10. Boos (2001), p. 50
  11. Boa constrictor constrictor has been recorded from the islands of Monos and Gaspar Grande.
  12. Boos (2001), p. 60
  13. Boos (2001), p. 64
  14. Epicrates cenchria maurus has been recorded from the island of Chacachacare, but the report has not been confirmed with a specimen.
  15. Boos (2001), p. 67
  16. Book: Cogger, H.G. . Zweifel, R.G.. Bauer, Aaron M.. 1998. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. Academic Press. San Diego. 188–195. 0-12-178560-2.
  17. Boos (2001), p. 98
  18. Liophis melanotus nesos has been recorded from the island of Chacachacare and is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
  19. Boos (2001), p. 99
  20. Boos (2001), p. 100
  21. Boos (2001), p. 102
  22. Boos (2001), p. 103
  23. Pseudoboa neuwiedii has been recorded from the island of Chacachacare.
  24. Boos (2001), p. 106
  25. Boos (2001), pp. 107–109
  26. Bailey. Joseph R.. Robert A. Thomas. 2006. A revision of the South American snake genus Thamnodynastes Wagler, 1830 (Serpentes: Colubridae, Tachymenini). II. Three new species from northern South America, with further descriptions of Thamnodynastes gambotensis Pérez-Santos and Moreno and Thamnodynastes ramonriveroi Manzanilla and Sánchez. Memoria de la Fundación la Salle de Ciencias Naturales. 66. 166. 7–27. dead. https://archive.today/20121224153252/http://www2.scielo.org.ve/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0037-85182006000200002&lng=es&nrm=iso. 2012-12-24.
  27. Boos (2001), p. 109
  28. http://portugal.inaturalist.org/taxa/27879-Atractus-fuliginosus Atractus fuliginosus · BioDiversity4All
  29. Boos (2001), p. 110
  30. Atractus trilineatus has been reported from the island of Huevos, but Boos (2001) considered this record to be doubtful.
  31. Atractus cf. univittatus is known from a single collection in Tobago. It has affinities with A. univittatus, but may be an undescribed species.
  32. Boos (2001), p. 112
  33. Boos (2001), p. 85
  34. Clelia clelia clelia has been recorded from the island of Chacachacare, but the report has not been confirmed with a specimen.
  35. Dipsas variegata trinitatis is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
  36. Boos (2001), p. 113
  37. Erythrolamprus aesculapii is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
  38. Boos (2001), p. 88
  39. Erythrolamprus bizona is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
  40. Boos (2001), pp. 89–93
  41. http://portugal.inaturalist.org/taxa/539677-Erythrolamprus-cobella Erythrolamprus cobella · BioDiversity4All
  42. Erythrolamprus ocellatus is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
  43. Boos (2001), pp. 93–95
  44. https://uk.inaturalist.org/taxa/889737-Erythrolamprus-pseudoreginae Erythrolamprus pseudoreginae · iNaturalist United Kingdom
  45. http://portugal.inaturalist.org/taxa/539708-Erythrolamprus-zweifeli Erythrolamprus zweifeli · BioDiversity4All
  46. Boos (2001), p. 96
  47. Boos (2001), p. 97
  48. Boos (2001), p. 114
  49. Boos (2001), p. 115
  50. Leptodeira annulata ashmeadi has been recorded from the islands of Gaspar Grande and Huevos.
  51. Boos (2001), p. 117
  52. Boos (2001), p. 118
  53. Sibon nebulata nebulata has been recorded from the island of Huevos.
  54. Boos (2001), p. 119
  55. Boos (2001), p. 121
  56. Chironius scurrulus is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
  57. Boos (2001), p. 122
  58. Boos (2001), p. 123
  59. Drymarchon corais corais has been recorded from the island of Monos.
  60. Boos (2001), p. 125
  61. Leptophis stimsoni is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
  62. Boos (2001), p. 126
  63. https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Mastigodryas&species=amarali Mastigodryas amarali | The Reptile Database
  64. Boos (2001), p. 128
  65. Mastigodryas boddaerti boddaerti has been recorded from the islands of Monos, Gaspar Grande, Chacachacare, Huevos, and Caledonia.
  66. Mastigodryas boddaerti dunni has been recorded from the island of Little Tobago and is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
  67. Boos (2001), p. 130
  68. Boos (2001), p. 133
  69. Oxybelis aeneus has been recorded from the islands of Chacachacare and Huevos.
  70. Boos (2001), p. 136
  71. Boos (2001), p. 138
  72. Boos (2001), p. 140
  73. Boos (2001), p. 142
  74. Tantilla melanocephala has been recorded from the island of Huevos.
  75. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1223343-Micrurus-diutius Trinidad Ribbon Coral Snake (Micrurus diutius) · iNaturalist
  76. Boos (2001), p. 146
  77. Micrurus circinalis has been recorded from the islands of Gaspar Grande (Boos 2001) and Monos (Charles & Smith 2009).
  78. Boos (2001), p. 144
  79. Charles. Stevland P.. Stephen Smith. 2009. A New Locality Record for the Coral Snake, Micrurus circinalis (Reptilia: Serpentes: Elapidae) on Monos Island, Trinidad and Tobago. Living World, Journal of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club. 41–42. dead. https://www.webcitation.org/669WYWatR?url=http://ttfnc.org/livworld/lw2009/2009p41charles.pdf. 2012-03-14.
  80. Boos (2001), p. 156
  81. Boos (2001), p. 167