Chironius carinatus

machete savane (also the Amazon Whipsnake)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Subfamily:	Colubrinae
Genus:	Chironius
Species:	C. carinatus
Binomial name
	Chironius carinatus; (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
	Coluber carinatus Linnaeus, 1758; Herpetodryas carinatus Boulenger, 1894;

Chironius carinatus, commonly known as the machete savane or amazon whipsnake, is a very large, but slender colubrid snake. It is a nonvenomous snake, also distinguished by its pacifistic nature.

Geographic range

It is endemic to the regions of Colombia, northern Brazil, Costa Rica, eastern Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Description

Chironius carinatus may grow to 3 m (9.8 feet) in total length. Body color can range from brown to deep yellow or gold, with the tail being generally darker than the body. The belly is often a bright shade of yellow or orange. In most specimens, body scales have lightly colored centers with darker edges. A light colored stripe runs down the length of the body, fading at the tail. The dorsal scales are in 12 rows.^[1]

Diet

It feeds on frogs, mice and birds.

References

^ Boulenger, G.A. 1894. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume II. London. pp. 73-75.

Boos, Hans E.A. (2001). The snakes of Trinidad and Tobago. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX. ISBN 1-58544-116-3.

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[1] Boulenger, G.A. 1894. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume II. London. pp. 73-75.

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