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Boiruna maculata

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Boiruna maculata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Boiruna
Species:
B. maculata
Binomial name
Boiruna maculata
(Boulenger, 1896)
Synonyms[2]
  • Oxyrhopus maculatus
    Boulenger, 1896

Boiruna maculata, also known commonly as a mussurana (along with several other snakes), is a species of snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to South America.

Description

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B. maculata has smooth dorsal scales. Adults are uniformly black, both dorsally and ventrally. Juveniles are black dorsally, and red ventrally, with a red nuchal collar. [2]

Geographic range

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B. maculata can be found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.[2]

Habitat

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B. maculata is found in a variety of habitats including forest, savanna, shrubland, and desert.[1]

Behavior

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B. maculata is terrestrial.[1]

Diet

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B. maculata preys predominately upon snakes, but also upon fishes, lizards, birds, and small mammals.[1]

Reproduction

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B. maculata is oviparous.[1][2]

Venom

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B. maculata is rear-fanged (opisthoglyphous), and it possesses a venom which is potentially dangerous to humans, especially children.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Arzamendia, V.; Fitzgerald, L.; Giraudo, A.; Williams, J.; Scrocchi, G. (2019). "Boiruna maculata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T15158518A15158527. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Boiruna maculata at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 8 October 2021.
  3. ^ Santos-Costa, Maria Cristina dos; Outeiral, Arlete Ballestrin; D'Agostini, Fernanda Maurer; Cappellari, Lize Helena (2000). "Envenomation by the neotropical colubrid Boiruna maculata (Boulenger, 1896): a case report". Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo 42 (5): 283–286. (in English, with an abstract in Portuguese).

Further reading

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  • Boulenger GA (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ), Amblycephalidæ, and Viperidæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I–XXV. (Oxyrhopus maculatus, new species, p. 110 + Plate VI, figures 2, 2a).
  • Carriera, Santiago; Hladky, Ricardo; Lamas, Dario; Negrin, Estela (2018). "Boiruna maculata (Mussurana). Coloration". Herpetological Review 49 (3): 541–542.
  • Laspiur A, Nenda SJ (2018). "Geographic Distribution: Boiruna maculata (Mussurana, Víbora Luta)". Herpetological Review 49 (3): 505.
  • Zaher H (1996). "A new genus and species of Pseudoboine Snake, with a revision of the genus Clelia (Serpentes, Xenodontinae)". Bollettino del Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali di Torino 14 (2): 289–337. (Boiruna maculata, new combination).