Chironius scurrulus

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Subordo: Serpentes
Infraordo: Caenophidia
Superfamilia: Colubroidea

Familia: Colubridae
Subfamilia: Colubrinae
Genus: Chironius
Species: Chironius scurrulus
Name

Chironius scurrulus (Wagler, 1824)

Type locality: “probably Rio Japura, Brazil”.

Lectotype: ZSM 2628/0, male.
Synonyms

Natrix scurrula Wagler, 1824: 24
Coluber scurrula (Wagler) - Wagler, 1830
Dendrophis viridis Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854
Herpetodryas fuscus (not of Linnaeus) - Günther, 1859
Herpetodryas carinatus var. scurrula (Wagler) - Jan, 1863
Herpetodryas holochlorus Cope, 1876
Chironius cinnamomeus (not of Wagler) - Hoge, 1960
Chironius scurrulus (Wagler) - Hoge, 1964: 72
Chironius barrioi Donoso-Barros, 1969
Herpetodryas holochloris (Cope) - Malnate, 1971
Chironius scurrulus — Peters & Orejas-Miranda, 1970: 61
Chironius scurrulus — Gasc & Rodrigues, 1980
Chironius scurrulus — Gorzula & Señaris, 1999

References

Wagler, J. 1824. Serpentum Brasiliensium species novae, ou histoire naturelle des espèces nouvelles de serpens. In: Jean de Spix, Animalia nova sive species novae. Monaco, Typis Franc. Seraph. Hübschmanni, vii + 75 pp.
Hoge, Alphonse Richard, 1964. Mem. Inst. Butantan, 30 [1960-1962]: 53, 59, 68.
Gorzula Stefan & Senaris J. Celsa 1999. In: Contribution to the herpetofauna of the Venezuelan Guayana. I: a data base. Scientia Guaianae, Caracas, No. 8 [1998], 269+ pp.; ISBN 980-6020-48-0.
Chironius scurrulus at the New Reptile Database. Accessed on 22 August 2008.

Vernacular names
English: Wagler's Sipo

Chironius scurrulus, commonly known as the smooth machete savane, is a large slender colubrid snake. It is also known as Wagler's sipo.

Geographic range

It is found in tropical rainforests of the Brazilian Amazon, Southeastern Colombia, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, east of Venezuela, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana.
Description

The dorsal scales are in only 10 rows.[2]
Habitat and Biology

It feeds on frogs and lizards. They are diurnal. They live in primary and secondary forest habitats, on the ground or small trees, or in shrubs and bushes.
References

The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.

Boulenger, G.A. 1894. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume II. London. pp. 75-76.

Boos, Hans E.A. (2001). The snakes of Trinidad and Tobago. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX. ISBN 1-58544-116-3.

Wagler, J.G. 1824. Serpentum Brasiliensium species novae, ou histoire naturelle des espèces nouvelles de serpens. In: J.B. Spix. Animalia nova sive species novae. pp. 1–75.