Clelia clelia, commonly known as the
mussurana,
black mussurana or
windward cribo, is a species of snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae of 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.
Common names: Clelia clelia 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).
Habitat: The preferred natural habitat of
Clelia clelia is forest at altitudes from sea level to .
Clelia clelia is a large snake. Adults may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of . 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.
Behavior: Clelia clelia is terrestrial. It is primarily nocturnal, but it is also sometimes diurnal.
Diet: Clelia clelia is a generalized noctural predator with a strong degree of ophiophagy, including venomous snakes of the genera
Bothriechis,
Bothrops,
Crotalus,
Lachesis,
Micrurus, and
Porthidium.
In addition to snakes,
Clelia clelia include the following prey items in its 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
- Clelia clelia groomei
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.