Puerto Rico snake
| Puerto Rico snake | ||||||||||||
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Puerto Rico slippery snake ( Borikenophis portoricensis ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Borikenophis portoricensis | ||||||||||||
| ( Reinhardt & Lütken , 1863) |
The Puerto Rico slender snake ( Borikenophis portoricensis , syn .: Alsophis portoricensis ) is a member of the snake family .
description
The Puerto Rico slender snake reaches a length of 93 centimeters. The back scales are brown with dark brown edges. The head is not marked. The throat is either unmarked or covered with dark spots. The ventral scales are light with dark brown edges.
Occurrence
The distribution area extends from Puerto Rico over the American Virgin Islands to the British Virgin Islands .
Way of life
The Puerto Rican slender snake is diurnal and foraging in trees and on the ground. It feeds on Anolis -Echsen and of geckos , small iguanas and frogs. It is adapted to dry habitats and basks in the sun during the hot time of the day. The female lays up to eleven eggs between March and May.
When the Puerto Rican slender snake is attacked, it straightens up and widens its neck into a flat disk, similar to a cobra. Their poison causes pain, swelling and discoloration in humans.
status
The Puerto Rico slender snake is common in the largest part of its range. It is extinct on Saint Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. However, it has recently been detected on Water Island, south of Saint Thomas, and on some cays . It is extremely rare on Saint John .
literature
- Albert Schwartz & Robert W. Henderson: Amphibians and reptiles of the West Indies: descriptions, distributions, and natural history . - University of Florida Press, Gainesville, 1991. ISBN 9780813010496
Web links
- Borikenophis portoricensis in The Reptile Database
- Puerto Rican Racer (Engl.)
- Terrestrial Reptiles of the United States Virgin Islands (PDF, Engl .; 491 kB)