List of snakes of Trinidad and Tobago
Forty-seven species of snake have been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago, making the snake population of this area the most diverse in the Caribbean. Forty-four of these snake species are found in Trinidad and twenty-one in Tobago. Many of these species are South American, most of which are present in Venezuela. Trinidad and Tobago consists of two main islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and several smaller islands. The Bocas Islands, which lie between Trinidad and Venezuela, in the Bocas del Dragón (Dragon's Mouths), consist of Chacachacare, Monos, Huevos and Gaspar Grande. Several smaller islands lie off Trinidad, but snakes have been recorded on only one of them, Caledonia Island. Snakes have been recorded on one island off Tobago, Little Tobago. Four species are venomous: two coral snake species (Micrurus spp.[note 1]), the fer-de-lance (Bothrops atrox) and the South American bushmaster (Lachesis muta). The common coral (Micrurus fulvius) is found on at least two of the Bocas Islands: Gaspar Grande and Monos. No venomous snakes inhabit Tobago.
Leptotyphlopidae
Leptotyphlopidae is a family of snakes found in North and South America, Africa, and Asia. All are fossorial and adapted to burrowing, feeding on ants and termites. One species has been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago.
Species | Common name | Trinidad | Tobago | Bocas Is. | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leptotyphlops albifrons | Ground puppy | Yes[1] | No | No | No |
Typhlopidae
Typhlopidae is a family of blind snakes found mostly in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia and the Americas. Three species have been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago.
Species | Common name | Trinidad | Tobago | Bocas Is. | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Helminthophis sp.[note 2][2] | Yellow-headed ground puppy | Yes[2] | No | No | No |
Amerotyphlops brongersmianus | Brongersma's worm snake | Yes[3] | No | No | No |
Amerotyphlops trinitatus[note 3][4] | Trinidad burrowing snake | Yes[4] | Yes[4] | No | No |
Aniliidae
Aniliidae is a monotypic family created for the monotypic genus Anilius, which means that there is only one species in the entire family. This species is A. scytale, found in South America.
Species | Common name | Trinidad | Tobago | Bocas Is. | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anilus scytale scytale[note 4] | Burrowing false coral; rouleau | Yes[5] | No | No | No |
Boidae
Boidae is a family of non-venomous snakes found in America, Africa, Europe, Asia and some Pacific Islands, containing the boas. Four species have been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago.
Species | Common name | Trinidad | Tobago | Bocas Is. | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Boa constrictor constrictor | Macajuel, boa constrictor | Yes[6] | Yes[6] | Yes[note 5][6] | No |
Corallus ruschenbergerii | Cascabel dormillon; Cook's tree boa | Yes[7] | Yes[7] | No | No |
Epicrates cenchria maurus | Rainbow boa | Yes[8] | Yes[8] | Yes[note 6][8] | No |
Eunectes murinus gigas | Huille, anaconda | Yes[9] | No | No | No |
Family Colubridae
Colubridae is a family of snakes comprising about two thirds of all snake species on earth. Colubrid species are found on every continent, except Antarctica.[10] Species from three subfamilies are found in Trinidad and Tobago.
Subfamily Xenodontinae
Xenodontinae is a subfamily of snakes within the family Colubridae that includes mud snakes and New World hognose snakes.
Species | Common name | Trinidad | Tobago | Bocas Is. | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clelia clelia clelia | Black cribo, mussurana | Yes[11] | No | Yes[note 7][11] | No |
Erythrolamprus aesculapii[note 8] | False coral | Yes[12] | No | No | No |
Erythrolamprus bizona[note 9] | False coral | Yes[13] | No | No | No |
Erythrolamprus ocellatus[note 10] | Tobago false coral, red snake | No | Yes[14] | No | No |
Helicops angulatus | Water mapepire, brown-banded water snake | Yes[15] | No | No | No |
Hydrops triangularis neglectus | Water coral | Yes[16] | No | No | No |
Liophis cobellus cobellus | Mangrove snake, mangrove mapepire | Yes[17] | No | No | No |
Liophis melanotus nesos[note 11] | Beh belle chemin, doctor snake | Yes[18] | Yes[18] | Yes[18] | No |
Liophis reginae zweifeli | High woods coral | Yes[19] | Yes[19] | No | No |
Oxyrhopus petola petola | False coral | Yes[20] | Yes[20] | No | No |
Pseudoboa neuwiedii | Ratonel | Yes[21] | Yes[21] | Yes[note 12][21] | No |
Siphlophis cervinus | Checkerbelly | Yes[22] | No | No | No |
Thamnodynastes ramonriveroi | Striped swamp snake | Yes[23][24] | No | No | No |
Tripanurgos compressus | Mapepire de fe, false coral | Yes[25] | No | No | No |
Subfamily Dipsadinae
Dipsadinae is a subfamily of snakes within the family Colubridae that includes cat-eyed snakes, night snakes, and black-striped snakes.
Species | Common name | Trinidad | Tobago | Bocas Is. | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atractus trilineatus | Three-lined ground snake | Yes[26] | Yes[26] | ?[note 13] | No |
Atractus cf. univittatus[note 14] | Tobago one-lined snake | No | Yes[27] | No | No |
Dipsas variegata trinitatis[note 15] | Snail-eating snake | Yes[28] | No | No | No |
Imantodes cenchoa cenchoa | Mapepire corde violon, fiddle-string snake | Yes[29] | Yes[29] | No | No |
Leptodeira annulata ashmeadi | False mapepire, cat-eyed night snake | Yes[30] | Yes[30] | Yes[note 16][30] | No |
Ninia atrata | Red-nape snake, ring neck snake | Yes[31] | Yes[31] | No | No |
Sibon nebulata nebulata | Clouded snake | Yes[32] | Yes[32] | Yes[note 17][32] | No |
Subfamily Colubrinae
Colubrinae is the largest subfamily of colubrids, and includes rat snakes, king snakes, milk snakes, vine snakes and indigo snakes.
Species | Common name | Trinidad | Tobago | Bocas Is. | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chironius carinatus carinatus | Machete savane, yellow machete | Yes[33] | No | No | No |
Chironius multiventris septentrionalis | Long-tailed machete savane | Yes[34] | No | No | No |
Chironius scurrulus[note 18] | Smooth machete savane | Yes[35] | No | No | No |
Drymarchon corais corais | Yellow-tailed cribo | Yes[36] | Yes[36] | Yes[note 19][36] | No |
Leptophis ahaetulla coeruleodorus | Lora, parrot snake | Yes[37] | Yes[37] | No | No |
Leptophis stimsoni[note 20] | Grey lora | Yes[38] | No | No | No |
Mastigodryas boddaerti boddaerti | Machete couesse | Yes[39] | No | Yes[note 21][39] | Yes[39] |
Mastigodryas boddaerti dunni[note 22] | Machete couesse | No | Yes[40] | No | Yes[40] |
Oxybelis aeneus | Horsewhip | Yes[41] | Yes[41] | Yes[note 23][41] | No |
Pseustes poecilonotus polylepis | Dos cocorite | Yes[42] | No | No | No |
Pseustes sulphureus sulphureus | Yellow-bellied puffing snake | Yes[43] | No | No | No |
Spilotes pullatus pullatus | Tigre, tigro | Yes[44] | Yes[44] | No | No |
Tantilla melanocephala | Black-headed snake | Yes[45] | Yes[45] | Yes[note 24][45] | No |
Family Elapidae
Elapidae is a family of venomous snakes found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. Two species are found in Trinidad and Tobago.
Species | Common name | Trinidad | Tobago | Bocas Is. | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Micrurus lemniscatus diutius | Common coral snake | Yes[46] | No | No | No |
Micrurus circinalis | Large coral snake | Yes[47] | No | Yes[note 25][46][48] | No |
Family Viperidae
Viperidae is a family of venomous snakes found all over the world, except for Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Madagascar, Hawaii and the Arctic Circle. All have relatively long hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom. Two species are found in Trinidad and Tobago.
Species | Common name | Trinidad | Tobago | Bocas Is. | Other |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bothrops atrox | Mapepire balsain, fer-de-lance | Yes[49] | No | No | No |
Lachesis muta muta | Mapepire zanana, mapepire z'ananas, bushmaster | Yes[50] | No | No | No |
See also
Notes
- The abbreviation "sp." indicates a single species and the abbreviation "spp." indicates multiple species.
- Helminthophis sp. is known from a single collection. It may represent an undescribed species since none of the three described species are known from adjacent portions of Venezuela
- Typhlops trinitatus is endemic to Trinidad and Tobago.
- Anilus scytale scytale is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
- Boa constrictor constrictor has been recorded from the islands of Monos and Gaspar Grande.
- Epicrates cenchria maurus has been recorded from the island of Chacachacare, but the report has not been confirmed with a specimen.
- Clelia clelia clelia has been recorded from the island of Chacachacare, but the report has not been confirmed with a specimen.
- Erythrolamprus aesculapii is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
- Erythrolamprus bizona is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
- Erythrolamprus ocellatus is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
- Liophis melanotus nesos has been recorded from the island of Chacachacare and is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
- Pseudoboa neuwiedii has been recorded from the island of Chacachacare.
- Atractus trilineatus has been reported from the island of Huevos, but Boos (2001) considered this record to be doubtful.
- Atractus cf. univittatus is known from a single collection in Tobago. It has affinities with A. univittatus, but may be an undescribed species.
- Dipsas variegata trinitatis is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
- Leptodeira annulata ashmeadi has been recorded from the islands of Gaspar Grande and Huevos.
- Sibon nebulata nebulata has been recorded from the island of Huevos.
- Chironius scurrulus is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
- Drymarchon corais corais has been recorded from the island of Monos.
- Leptophis stimsoni is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
- Mastigodryas boddaerti boddaerti has been recorded from the islands of Monos, Gaspar Grande, Chacachacare, Huevos, and Caledonia.
- Mastigodryas boddaerti dunni has been recorded from the island of Little Tobago and is only known in Trinidad and Tobago from a single collection.
- Oxybelis aeneus has been recorded from the islands of Chacachacare and Huevos.
- Tantilla melanocephala has been recorded from the island of Huevos.
- Micrurus circinalis has been recorded from the islands of Gaspar Grande (Boos 2001) and Monos (Charles & Smith 2009).
References
All information is based on Boos (2001) unless otherwise stated.
- Boos (2001), p. 39
- Boos (2001), p. 43
- Boos (2001), p. 44
- Boos (2001), p. 45
- Boos (2001), p. 46
- Boos (2001), p. 50
- Boos (2001), p. 60
- Boos (2001), p. 64
- Boos (2001), p. 67
- Bauer, Aaron M. (1998). Cogger, H.G.; Zweifel, R.G. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 188–195. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.
- Boos (2001), p. 85
- Boos (2001), p. 88
- Boos (2001), pp. 89–93
- Boos (2001), pp. 93–95
- Boos (2001), p. 96
- Boos (2001), p. 97
- Boos (2001), p. 98
- Boos (2001), p. 99
- Boos (2001), p. 100
- Boos (2001), p. 102
- Boos (2001), p. 103
- Boos (2001), p. 106
- Boos (2001), pp. 107–109
- Bailey, Joseph R.; Robert A. Thomas (2006). "A revision of the South American snake genus Thamnodynastes Wagler, 1830 (Serpentes: Colubridae, Tachymenini). II. Three new species from northern South America, with further descriptions of Thamnodynastes gambotensis Pérez-Santos and Moreno and Thamnodynastes ramonriveroi Manzanilla and Sánchez". Memoria de la Fundación la Salle de Ciencias Naturales. 66 (166): 7–27. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012.
- Boos (2001), p. 109
- Boos (2001), p. 110
- Boos (2001), p. 112
- Boos (2001), p. 113
- Boos (2001), p. 114
- Boos (2001), p. 115
- Boos (2001), p. 117
- Boos (2001), p. 118
- Boos (2001), p. 119
- Boos (2001), p. 121
- Boos (2001), p. 122
- Boos (2001), p. 123
- Boos (2001), p. 125
- Boos (2001), p. 126
- Boos (2001), p. 128
- Boos (2001), p. 130
- Boos (2001), p. 133
- Boos (2001), p. 136
- Boos (2001), p. 138
- Boos (2001), p. 140
- Boos (2001), p. 142
- Boos (2001), p. 144
- Boos (2001), p. 146
- Charles, Stevland P.; Stephen Smith (2009). "A New Locality Record for the Coral Snake, Micrurus circinalis (Reptilia: Serpentes: Elapidae) on Monos Island, Trinidad and Tobago" (PDF). Living World, Journal of the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists' Club: 41–42. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2012.
- Boos (2001), p. 156
- Boos (2001), p. 167
Bibliography
- Boos, Hans E.A. (2001). The snakes of Trinidad and Tobago. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX. ISBN 1-58544-116-3.
External links
- Medicinal and ethnoveterinary remedies of hunters in Trinidad from BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (BioMed Central).