Siphlophis pulcher Raddi, 1820

De Alencar, Arília Aiarsa Laura R. V. & Martins, Marcio, 2013, Natural History Of Pseudoboine Snakes, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 53 (19), pp. 261-283 : 276-277

Siphlophis pulcher Raddi, 1820

Distribution: Siphlophis pulcher is distributed in the Atlantic Forest along the eastern and southeastern coast of Brazil ( Marques, 1998; Prudente et al., 1998; Zaher & Prudente, 1999; Argôlo, 2004; Hartmann, 2005; Cicchi et al., 2007; Duarte & Sena, 2007; Kunz, 2007; Sena, 2007; Hartmann et al., 2009, 2011; O.A. V. Marques, unpublished data).

Habitat and time of activity: This small pseudoboine (maximum SVL = 803 mm, female; this study) inhabits forests, an may be found in disturbed areas ( Sazima & Argôlo, 1994; Argôlo, 2004; Hartmann, 2005; Duarte & Sena, 2007; Kunz, 2007; P. Gobbo & C. Conti, unpublished data; M. Teixeira, unpublished data). Siphlophis pulcher is a semi-arboreal species that frequently forages to the ground (terrestrial data: N = 10; Sazima & Argôlo, 1994; Marques, 1998; Hartmann, 2005; P. Gobbo & C. Conti, unpublished data; O.A. V. Marques, unpublished data; M. Teixeira, unpublished data; arboreal data: N = 4; Sazima & Argôlo, 1994; O.A. V. Marques, unpublished data). It is active both during the day (N = 3; O.A. V. Marques, unpublished data) and during the night (N = 3; Marques, 1998; P. Gobbo & C. Conti, unpublished data; O.A. V. Marques, unpublished data). There is additional information on microhabitat (N = 1 terrestrial) in Argôlo (2004), but this information was not included in the synthesis above because it is not clear whether the individuals found were active.

Feeding: Siphlophis pulcher is a lizard specialist (N = 25, two tropidurids, six Placosoma sp. , one gymnophthalmid, one scincid, one Ophiodes fragilis , three Ophiodes sp. , one Gymnodactylus darwinii , one Hemidactylus mabouia , one geckonid, eight n. i.), that occasionally eats snakes (N = 3, one Imantodes cenchoa ) and lizard eggs (N = 2) ( Sazima & Argôlo, 1994; Prudente et al., 1998; Hartmann, 2005; Duarte & Sena, 2007; O.A. V. Marques, unpublished data).

Reproduction: Clutch size varies from two to seven eggs (N = 4, mean = 4.0; this study). The smallest mature female was 553 mm SVL (this study) and the smallest mature male was 532 mm SVL (this study) .