Corallus annulatus
Ringelboa ( Corallus annulatus )
The Ringelboa ( Corallus annulatus ) is a species of snake in the family of Boaz (Family) ( Boidae ). It occurs from the south east of Guatemala and north-eastern Honduras to Panama and the Rio San Juan in the west of Colombia. Based in Ecuador, formerly regarded as a subspecies southernmost population, probably represents its own kind Corallus blombergi dar.
Features
Ringelboas are up to 145 centimeters long lines of wedge-shaped, clearly contrasting the neck head and big eyes. The basic color is highly variable, yellowish or chocolate brown from reddish brown over gray brown to deep. Young animals are often colored strong brick red or orange, sometimes almost black and take about one year and a less flashy coloring. The head has a variable stripe pattern. The back has a dark pattern from 35 to 45 spots in the body towards the center of which are in the front of diamond- shaped, oval or diamond-shaped with the tail end again diamond- shaped, the pattern is drawn here usually less sharp than in the front area. The belly is white, yellowish, reddish, reddish-brown or gray-brown and has darker spots or patches in the front or on the whole length. At the top there are two to four Lorealschilde and three to eight Infralorealschilde. To the eye are 12 to 16 shields, between the eyes on top of the head 6 to 10 in the fuselage center of the back has 50 to 57 rows of smooth, hexagonal scales on. The number of Ventralschilde is 251-268, which are the Subcaudalschilde at 79 to 88 The latter, like the anal shield undivided.
Way of life
Ringelboas colonize moist lowland forests up to about 500 meters and penetrate also in cultural landscapes. They keep mainly to trees, and feeds on small mammals and birds, to a lesser extent of lizards and amphibians. The species is viviparous like all Boidae.
System
Classic three subspecies are distinguished, which differ in the distribution area as well as in scalation. Corallus annulatus annulatus in the northern part of the range, Corallus annulatus colombianus south of it, and Corallus annulatus blombergi in Ecuador. However, recent studies have shown that typical of the subspecies Beschuppungsmerkmale are not specific and in some cases all occur within a litter of pups. Therefore, the northern population as a species is considered without subspecies, while the southern is considered as a separate species Corallus blombergi.