Kingdom Animalia Class Reptilia Family Colubridae Scientific name Liophis melanotus Rank Species | Subphylum Vertebrata Suborder Serpentes Subfamily Xenodontinae Phylum Chordata Order Scaled reptiles | |
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Similar Liophis, Ninia atrata, Liophis reginae, Pseudoboa neuwiedii, Liophis epinephelus | ||
Shaw's dark ground snake or Shaw's black-backed snake (Liophis melanotus) is a species of colubrid snake endemic to northern South America.
Contents
Description
It grows up to a total length (body plus tail) of 43 cm (17 in).
Dorsally, it has a light yellow or pinkish color, with a wide, dark vertebral stripe, which is bordered on each side by a thin whitish stripe, followed by a thin dark stripe. The top of the head is olive, and there is a dark stripe passing through the eye. The upper labials and the venter (underside) of the snake are whitish.
The dorsal scales are smooth, with apical pits, and are arranged in 17 rows at midbody.
Behavior & diet
It actively forages during the day for food, which may include fish, amphibians, and lizards.
Geographic range
Its distribution includes Colombia, Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago. It is probably extirpated from Grenada.