Philodryas olfersii (Lichtenstein, 1823) “Cobra-de-cipó-verde”

(Figs. 17.5 and 30.2)

It was recorded in all portions of the Caatinga. It is distributed in low and high altitudes (sea level to 1,100 m elevation) and is an abundant species. It is also widely distributed in the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, Pantanal, and Pampas (Marques et al. 2001, 2005; Bérnils et al. 2008; Nogueira et al. 2010). It can be found in all phytophysiognomies of the Caatinga, however it is more often found in forests or forest borders (Vitt 1980; Hamdan & Lira-da-Silva 2012; Nogueira et al. 2011), and may thus be absent from areas widely dominated by open sand dunes or savannas. It has semi-arboreal habits, is diurnal, and feeds on vertebrates (Vitt & Vangilder 1983; Marques et al. 2001, 2005).