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Scolecophis atrocinctus (SCHLEGEL, 1837)

IUCN Red List - Scolecophis atrocinctus - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaColubridae, Colubrinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Black-banded Snake
G: Schwarzgebänderte Wühltrugnatter 
SynonymCalamaria atrocincta SCHLEGEL 1837: 47
Scolecophis atrocincta — FITZINGER 1843: 25
Homalocranion atro-cinctus — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 864
Elaps zonatus HALLOWELL 1855: 35
Platycranion sp. — JAN 1863
Homalocranion atrocinctus — JAN 1866
Pseudoboa petola — PICADO 1931
Pseudoboa petola — AMARAL 1931: 88
Scolecophis atrocinctus — MERTENS 1956
Scolecophis atrocinctus — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 272
Scolecophis atrocinctus — MATTISON 2007: 100
Scolecophis atrocinctus — KÖHLER 2008: 275
Scolecophis atrocinctus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 664
Scolecophis atrocinctus — SUNYER & MARTÍNEZ-FONSECA 2023 
DistributionGuatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica

Type locality: see comment  
Reproductionoviparous (MARINEROS 2000) 
TypesHolotype: MNHN-RA 0519, a 440 mm male (Gay) 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (genus): Wilson and Williams (2002: 758.1) defined Scolecophis as follows: “a colubrid genus characterized by a slender body; a head only slightly distinct from the body; head shape normal; dorsal head scutellation consisting of a normal rostral followed by two internasals, two prefrontals, two supraoculars, one frontal, and two parietals; lateral head scutellation of a divided nasal, a single loreal, one preocular, two postoculars, no suboculars, 1+1+1 temporals; seven supralabials, with the 3rd and 4th entering the orbit; six or seven infralabials, with three or four touching the anterior chin shields, the fourth the largest, and the first pair in medial contact, separating the mental and ante- rior chinshields; dorsal scales are smooth and in 15 rows; ventrals 181–198; cloacal scute (= anal plate) divided; subcaudals 45–54 and paired; maximum known TL [= total length] about 470 mm (KU 125497 from Costa Rica); relative tail length 0.136–0.191; maxillary teeth 13–14, the two posterior teeth grooved laterally, the grooves broad and shallow; hemipenis simple with single sulcus spermaticus, distal two-thirds spinose, spines increasing in size proximally, terminating in several enlarged basal spines, and the proximal one-third of the organ naked; a body pat- tern of alternating black and pale rings, the black rings 11⁄2–4 scales long, the pale rings 2–4 scales long, pale rings are cream-colored on the first 4–5 scale rows, each scale with a black tip (except in the first row), reddish orange on dorsal rows 5–11 or 6–10, black rings number 24–49 on body and 5–10 on tail; head pattern of a black head cap with a broad pale band across the prefrontals extending laterally to the lip line, a postocular pale spot, and a pale nuchal band (cream laterally, reddish orange middorsally) beginning on the posterior portion of the parietals and extending 1–21⁄2 middorsals beyond.”
 
CommentSynonymy that of PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970.

Description: black bands alternate with bands that are redish dorsally but whitish laterally.

Distribution: the type locality given by SCHLEGEL was “Chile”, obviously in error.

Type species: Calamaria atrocincta SCHLEGEL 1837 is the type species of the genus Scolecophis FITZINGER 1843.

Diet: centipedes, arachnids, insects (Jackson et al. 2019). 
EtymologyThe species name atrocinctus is derived from the Latin ater, meaning "black," and cingula, meaning "girdle," in reference to the black rings around the body of this snake.

The genus name Scolecophis is derived from the Greek skolex, meaning "a worm or grub," and ophis, meaning "snake," perhaps in reference to the semifossorial habits of this snake. 
References
  • Amaral, A. D. 1931. Studies of neotropical ophidia XXIII. Additional notes on Colombian snakes XXVI. Ophidia of Colombia. Bulletin of the Antivenin Institute of America 4 (4): 85-94
  • CHERNOV, E., E. P. HOFMANN, AND W. WUSTER 2020. Scolecophis atrocinctus (Black-Banded Snake). Reproduction/Combat Behavior. Herpetological Review 51: 628-629.
  • Duméril, A. M. C., Bibron, G. & DUMÉRIL, A. H. A., 1854. Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. Deuxième partie, comprenant l'histoire des serpents venimeux. Paris, Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret: i-xii + 781-1536 - get paper here
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  • Mertens, R. 1952. Die Amphibien und Reptilien von El Salvador. Abh. senckenb. naturf. Ges. (Frankfurt) (No. 487): 120 pp.
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