Amazon Puffing Snake (Spilotes sulphureus sulphureus)

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Photo by Tukup

Published on Project Noah

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-2.1439, -77.701

Field Notes

Description:

In honor of WORLD SNAKE DAY, I thought it appropriate to highlight one of my favorite non-venomous Ecuadorian snakes. Formerly Pseustes sulphureus sulphureus this was recently changed to Spilotes sulphureus sulphureus. Its most interesting characteristic is that when threatened, it puffs up its neck, making it appear larger than it is. It is from this that it gets its common name: Amazon Puffing Snake. It can attain a length in excess of 3 m. This one was 2.31 m long. They vary in color from bright yellow to a greenish yellow.

Habitat:

This snake was found in a remote section of the Amazon jungle in SE Ecuador (700 masl).

Notes:

Easily gentled, these snakes will usually give up puffing and biting after being handled a few times. However, I must stress “usually.” :-) Their diet consists mostly of birds.