Oxyrhopus melanogenys Tschudi, 1845

De Alencar, Arília Aiarsa Laura R. V. & Martins, Marcio, 2013, Natural History Of Pseudoboine Snakes, Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 53 (19), pp. 261-283 : 268

Oxyrhopus melanogenys Tschudi, 1845

Distribution: Oxyrhopus melanogenys occurs throughout Amazonian Brazil and western Peru ( Cunha & Nascimento, 1978; Dixon & Soini, 1986; Nascimento et al., 1987; Pérez-Santos & Moreno, 1988; Zaher, 1996; Frota, 2000; Santos-Costa, 2003; Duellman, 2005; Frota et al., 2005; Bernarde & Abe, 2006; França et al., 2006; Maschio, 2008; Silva et al., 2010; Bernarde et al., 2011; L.J. Vitt, unpublished data).

Habitat and time of activity: Oxyrhopus melanogenys is a moderate-sized pseudoboine (maximum SVL = 901 mm, female; this study) and the data available indicate that this is a terrestrial species (N = 6; Santos-Costa, 2003; Maschio, 2008; S. Morato, unpublished data; M. Sena, unpublished data; C. Strüssmann, unpublished data) that inhabits forests and it is active during the night (N = 6; Santos-Costa, 2003; Maschio, 2008; S. Morato, unpublished data).

Feeding: Oxyrhopus melanogenys is a diet generalist that feeds mainly on small mammals (N = 24) and lizards (N = 25; two Ameiva sp. , one Cnemidophorus sp. , one Colobossaura sp., one Leposoma sp. , one Hemidactylus sp. ), but also on birds (N = 3; two Ramphocaenus melanurus ) and occasionally on lizard eggs (N = 1) ( Nascimento et al., 1987, Santos-Costa, 2003; Maschio, 2008; Silva et al., 2010; Martins & Oliveira, unpublished data).

Reproduction: Clutch size varies from seven to 13 eggs (N = 8, mean = 9.7 eggs; this study). The smallest mature female was 410 mm SVL ( Bitar & Santos-Costa, 2006) and the smallest mature male was 310 mm SVL ( Bitar & Santos-Costa, 2006).

Defense: Maschio (2008) reports that when handled O. melanogenys can expel cloacal secretions.