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 , but it has also been found in agricultural areas.
A medium-sized snake,
S. degenhardtii may attain a total length (including tail) of 65 cm.
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
- Stenorrhina degenhardtii mexicana
- Stenorrhina degenhardtii ocellata