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Stenorrhina degenhardtii facts for kids

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Stenorrhina degenhardtii
Stenorrhina degenhardtii 48327512.jpg
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Synonyms
  • Calamaria degenhardtii
    Berthold 1846
  • Stenorhina ventralis
    A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854
  • Stenorhina kennicottiana
    Cope, 1860
  • Stenorrhina degenhardtii
    — Cope, 1876

Stenorrhina degenhardtii, also known by its common name Degenhardt's scorpion-eating snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to southeastern Mexico, Central America, and northwestern South America. There are three recognized subspecies.

Etymology

The specific name, degenhardtii, is in honor of a German named Degenhardt who collected amphibians and reptiles in northern South America in the 1840s.

Geographic range

S. degenhardtii is found in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Veracruz; in the Central American countries of Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama; and in the South American countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of S. degenhardti are forest and savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 2,800 m (9,200 ft), but it has also been found in agricultural areas.

Description

A medium-sized snake, S. degenhardtii may attain a total length (including tail) of 65 cm (26 in).

Behavior

S. degenhardtii is diurnal and terrestrial.

Diet

S. degenhardtii preys predominately upon scorpions and spiders, but also eats crickets, grasshoppers, and insect larvae.

Reproduction

S. degenhardtii is oviparous. Clutch size is 11–12 eggs.

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.

  • Stenorrhina degenhardtii degenhardtii (Berthold, 1846)
  • Stenorrhina degenhardtii mexicana (Steindachner, 1867)
  • Stenorrhina degenhardtii ocellata Jan & Sordelli, 1876

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Stenorrhina degenhardtii para niños

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