Plate 042 · stalking a frog by a stream IdentificationFive marks on the plate
- 1Large eye with a golden iris and a round pupil.
- 2Short, blunt snout on a broad head.
- 3Olive-green back darker along the spine.
- 4Rows of black dots regular, from nape to tail.
- 5Whitish belly without the strong pink of its relative.
Easily confused with Almada Ground SnakeErythrolamprus almadensisVery similar, but with a strong pink or red belly. Lives further east. Green racerPhilodryas aestivaBright, plain green with no spots, and more slender. 042 / 100 · REPTILES · DIPSADIDAELEAST CONCERN Cei’s Ground Snake
Erythrolamprus ceii
Culebra de Cei · Tucumán Smooth Snake
A harmless Yungas snake described from specimens taken in Tucumán and named after the herpetologist José M. Cei. It is olive green with rows of small black spots. It works along stream banks and damp clearings looking for frogs.
- Length
- c. 50 cm
- Altitude
- to over 2,000 m
- Range
- Yungas of Argentina and Bolivia
- Described
- 1991, from Tucumán
- Harmless
- Day-active
- Frog eater
- Regional endemic
Altitude rangeFrom foothills to montane forest
Known records Known from humid forest and grassland in the Yungas, from low ground up to over 2,000 m. Highland animals have slightly fewer belly scales.
FoodAn amphibian hunter
- Frogsstream and pond frogs · staple
- Tadpoles and toadletsalong banks
- Small lizardsoccasional
Like other Erythrolamprus it hunts amphibians by day and swallows them alive. Little has been published on its diet.
BehaviourActive, along the water
- Day-active. Seen in sunny hours, mainly in summer, near water.
- Active forager. Patrols the stream edge with its head raised, watching and flicking its tongue.
- Egg-layer. Like the rest of its genus, it lays eggs.
Where to look in Tucumán- Sierra de San Javier
- Parque Provincial La Florida
- Río Los Sosa
- El Siambón
- Cuesta del Clavillo