Black mussurana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black mussurana |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Clelia
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| Species: |
clelia
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| Synonyms | |
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Clelia clelia, commonly known as the black mussurana or windward cribo, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to the New World.
Etymology
The subspecific name, groomei, is in honor of Grenadian zoologist John R. Groome.
Names
It is called doi or duma in the Kwaza language of Rondônia, Brazil.
Geographic range
Clelia clelia is found in Central America, South America, and the Lesser Antilles (including the island of Trinidad).
Description
Clelia clelia is a large snake. Adults may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 2.1 m (6.9 ft). Dorsally, adults are uniform black, gray, or olive-gray. Ventrally, adults are yellowish white. Juveniles are pale brown or red, with a black head and a yellow collar.
Diet
Clelia clelia preys almost exclusively on snakes, especially venomous snakes of the genera Bothriechis, Bothrops, Crotalus, Lachesis, Micrurus, and Porthidium. Despite being primarily ophiophagous, Clelia clelia also include in their diet: lizards, snake eggs, opossums, rodents, birds, small mammals, and snails.
Reproduction
Clelia clelia is oviparous.
Subspecies
Clelia clelia has two subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, which are recognized as being valid.
- Clelia clelia clelia (Daudin, 1803)
- Clelia clelia groomei Greer, 1965
Nota bene: A binomial authority or trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Clelia.
See also
In Spanish: Zopilota común para niños
