About Erythrolamprus melanotus (Shaw, 1802)
Erythrolamprus melanotus reaches a total length of 43 cm (17 in), including its tail. Dorsally, its base color is light yellow or pinkish, marked with a wide, dark stripe running along the spine. This dark vertebral stripe is bordered on each side by a thin whitish stripe, which is in turn followed by a thin dark stripe. The top of the head is olive, and a dark stripe passes through the eye. The upper lip scales and the entire underside of the snake are whitish. Its dorsal scales are smooth, have apical pits, and are arranged in 17 rows at midbody. The known geographic distribution of Erythrolamprus melanotus covers Colombia, Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago. The species is considered to be probably extirpated from Grenada. Its preferred natural habitats are freshwater wetlands, forest, and savanna, and it occurs at altitudes up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft). Erythrolamprus melanotus is oviparous, meaning it reproduces by laying eggs.
