Spilotes sulphureus explained

Spilotes sulphureus, commonly known as the yellow-bellied hissing snake or Amazon puffing snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Colubridae. It is widely distributed throughout South America, as well as the Caribbean island of Trinidad.

Taxonomy

Originally placed in the genus Pseustes, it is now considered in the genus Spilotes.

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

• S. s. sulphureus
• S. s. dieperinkii

Nota bene

A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was original described in a genus other than Spilotes.

Description

S. sulphureus is a large snake, which can grow up to 3m (10feet) in total length (including tail). Its venom is bimodal and can directly affect both mammal and reptile prey.

Diet

Adults of S. sulphureus feed on small mammals, birds and other snakes (both venomous andnon-venomous), while juveniles feed on lizards, mice and rats.

Further reading

• Boulenger GA (1894). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xi + 382 pp. + Plates I-XX. (Phrynonax sulphureus, p. 19).
• Freiberg M (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. . (Pseustes sulphureus, p. 108 + color photo, p. 151).
• Jadin, Robert C.; Burbrink, Frank T,; Rivas, Gilson A.; Vitt, Laurie J; Barrio-Amorós, César L.; Guralnick, Robert P. (2013). "Finding arboreal snakes in an evolutionary tree: phylogenetic placement and systematic revision of the Neotropical birdsnakes". Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 52 (3); 257–264. (Spilotes sulphureus, new combination).
• Wagler J (1824). In Spix J (1824). Serpentum Brasiliensum species novae ou histoire naturelle des espèces nouvelles de serpens, recueillies et observées pendant le voyage dans l'intérieur du Brésil dans les années 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820, exécuté par ordre de sa Majesté le Roi de Baviére. Munich: F.S. Hübschmann. viii + 75 pp. + Plates I-XXVI. (Natrix sulphurea, new species, pp. 26–27 + Plate IX). (in Latin and French).