Fire-bellied Snake
Erythrolamprus epinephalus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyColubridae (Colubrid Snakes)
- GenusErythrolamprus (Coral Snake Mimics)
- SpeciesErythrolamprus epinephalus (Fire-bellied Snake)
About the Fire-bellied Snake
Erythrolamprus epinephalus, the Fire-bellied snake, is a species of snake in the Colubridae family. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Peru. The snake, which was described by Edward Drinker Cope in 1862, is notable for its apparent immunity to the toxic skin of the golden poison dart frog, which it preys upon.
Erythrolamprus epinephalus belongs to the genus Erythrolamprus, which contains over 50 species. The genus Erythrolamprus belongs to the subfamily Dipsadinae, which is sometimes referred to as the family Dipsadidae. Recent phylogenetic analysis of morphological and molecular DNA evidence has shown that Erythrolamprus epinephalus is now likely paraphyletic, with respect to Erythrolamprus pseudoreginae of Tobago, named in 2019.
The relationships of Erythrolamprus species located in northern South America can be shown in the cladogram below: Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Chagres National Park
Mimic False Coral Snake
Erythrolamprus mimus
Puffing Snake
Phrynonax poecilonotus
Blunthead Tree Snake
Imantodes cenchoa
Striped Vine Snake
Oxybelis vittatus
Cope's Vine Snake
Oxybelis brevirostris
South American Forest Racer
Dendrophidion percarinatum
False Fer-de-lance
Xenodon rabdocephalus
Spotted Coffee Snake
Ninia maculata
Rhombic Cat-eyed Snake
Leptodeira rhombifera
Central American Lizard Eater
Mastigodryas alternatus
Adorned Graceful Brown Snake
Rhadinaea decorata
Degenhardt's Scorpion-eating Snake
Stenorrhina degenhardtii
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chagres National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | Chirripó National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Soberanía National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Chingaza National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 6 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Puracé National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 8 | Farallones de Cali National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 9 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 10 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 11 | Los Nevados National Natural Park | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 12 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Fire-bellied Snake in Chagres National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Fire-bellied Snake sighting in Chagres National Park, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Fire-bellied Snake in Chagres National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Fire-bellied Snake in Chagres National Park in our monthly data.