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 →
Recent sightings of Fire-bellied Snake in Los Nevados National Natural Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Los Nevados National Natural Park
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Atractus lehmanni
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Clelia equatoriana
South American Milksnake
Lampropeltis micropholis
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Atractus titanicus
Three-striped Smooth Ground Snake
Saphenophis tristriatus
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Black-headed Snake
Tantilla melanocephala
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 |