The snakes of Trinidad and Tobago

287 Pages·2001·6.076 MB·English

by  Hans E A Boos

Illustrations (cid:1) i
The Snakes of Trinidad and Tobago
            -   
The W. L. Moody, Jr., Natural History Series
The Snakes
Hans E. A. Boos
of
Trinidad
and
Tobago
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY PRESS (cid:1) COLLEGE STATION
Copyright © 
by Hans E. A. Boos
Manufactured in the
United States of America
All rights reserved
First edition
Reproduction of the color photographs
was made possible by the generous support
of Gerard Williams of Century Eslon, Ltd.,
and Julius O. Boos.
The paper used in this book
meets the minimum requirements
of the American National Standard
for Permanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials,
.-. Binding materials
have been chosen for durability.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Boos, Hans E. A., –
The snakes of Trinidad and Tobago / Hans E. A. Boos.— st ed.
p. cm.— (W. L. Moody, Jr., natural history series ; no. )
Includes bibliographical references (p. ).
 --- (cloth)
. Snakes—Trinidad and Tobago. I. Title. II. Series.
.  
.'—dc -
To my parents,
Oscar and Gwen

Contents
Illustrations 
Acknowledgments 
Abbreviations 
Introduction 
Taxonomy and Species Accounts 
Family: Leptotyphlopidae—Thread Snakes 
Family: Typhlopidae—Blind Snakes 
Family: Aniliidae—Pipe Snakes 
Family: Boidae—Boas and Pythons 
Family: Colubridae—Harmless Snakes 
Subfamily: Xenodontinae 
Subfamily: Dipsadinae 
Subfamily: Colubrinae 
Family: Elapidae—Coral Snakes, Cobras, Mambas 
Family: Viperidae—Pit Vipers (Mapepires) 
Snakebite: Antidotes and Anecdotes 
Appendix . The Belgian Black Stone 
Appendix . Identifying Large, Diurnal, Mostly Black Snakes in Trinidad
and Tobago 
Glossary 
References 
Index 

Illustrations
MAP
Trinidad and Tobago page 
FIGURES
. How to count dorsal scale rows 
. Typical head scalation of family Leptotyphlopidae 
. Leptotyphlops albifrons, ground puppy 
. Typical head scalation of family Typhlopidae 
. Helminthophis sp., yellow-head ground puppy 
. Typhlops brongersmianus, burrowing snake 
. Head scalation of Anilius scytale 
. Typical head scalation of family Boidae 
. Boa constrictor constrictor, macajuel, litter 
. Juvenile boa constrictor 
. Boa constrictor with abnormal skin patterning 
. Boa constrictor and deer 
. Corallus ruschenbergerii, cascabel dormillon 
. Epicrates cenchria maurus, rainbow boa 
. Rainbow boa in a defensive “ball” 
. Eunectes murinus gigas, huilla, huille (anaconda) 
. “Big Annie” 
. Anaconda reported to have swallowed heifer calf 
. Anaconda and bull 
. Typical head scalation of family Colubridae 
. Clelia clelia clelia, black cribo, hatchling 
. Erythrolamprus bizona, false coral snake 90
. Hydrops triangularis neglectus, water coral, juvenile 
. Liophis reginae zweifeli, high-woods coral 
. Oxyrhopus petola petola, false coral 
. Pseudoboa neuwiedii eating Mastigodryas boddaerti dunni 