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Quick facts for kids Lacépède's ground snake |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Erythrolamprus
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| Species: |
cursor
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| Synonyms | |
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Lacépède's ground snake (Erythrolamprus cursor) is a species of snake in the Colubridae family. It is endemic to Caribbean island of Martinique. Little is known of it scientifically, and few photographs exist.
It has been reported on Diamond Rock (Rocher du Diamant), which may be the last refuge for the species.
The French naturalist Bernard Germain Étienne de la Ville, Comte de Lacépède first described it in 1789 in his Histoire Naturelle des Quadrupèdes Ovipares et de Serpens.
Erythrolamprus cursor belongs to the genus Erythrolamprus, which contains over 50 species. The genus Erythrolamprus belongs to the subfamily Dipsadinae, which is sometimes referred to as the family Dipsadidae. The relationships of Erythrolamprus species located in northern South America can be shown in the cladogram below, based on molecular DNA analysis:
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The snake is diurnal and lives on the ground, usually hidden under leaves and wood. It hunts reptiles and amphibians.
The importation to Martinique of other species of snakes, and of mongooses to control them, have driven it to near extinction.
