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Golden-bellied Snake (Erythrolamprus albiventris)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Serpentes | Colubridae | Erythrolamprus | Erythrolamprus albiventris
English common name: Golden-bellied Snake.
Spanish common names: Culebra ventridorada, culebrilla ventridorada, culebra boba de vientre pálido, culebra boba verde.
Recognition: ♂♂ 67.9 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. ♀♀ 80.5 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail.. The Golden-bellied Snake (Erythrolamprus albiventris) is a medium-sized snake having a white or yellow immaculate belly. The dorsum is bright leaf-green or olive with thin black stripes along the posterior half of the body and tail.1 Individuals of this species are distinguished from other greenish diurnal snakes in central and western Ecuador (particularly Chironius exoletus, C. monticola, and Dendrophidion graciliverpa) by being smaller (total length <1 meter), having contrasting black stripes on the body (not only on the tail), and by having smooth dorsal scales arranged in 17 rows at mid-body.2 The most similar snake in size and coloration that may be found living alongside E. albiventris in southwestern Ecuador is E. fraseri, a snake that has an olive or grayish brown dorsal coloration and black-checkered yellow ventral surfaces.1 Young individuals of E. albiventris usually have a black nape band.
Figure 1: Individuals of Erythrolamprus albiventris from Guanazán, El Oro province (); Santa Lucía Reserve, Pichincha province (); Valle de los Chillos, Pichincha province (); Guápulo, Pichincha province (); Milpe, Pichincha province (); Manduriacu Reserve, Imbabura province (); and Otonga Reserve, Cotopaxi province, Ecuador (). ad=adult, j=juvenile.
Natural history: FrequentRecorded weekly in densities below five individuals per locality.. Erythrolamprus albiventris is a diurnal and terrestrial snake that inhabits evergreen to semi-deciduous forests, cloudforests, and humid montane shrublands. The species also occurs in areas having a matrix of pastures, plantations, and remnants of native vegetation, as well as in gardens of heavily-populated urban areas such as Quito.2 Individuals of E. albiventris seem to be particularly frequent in marshes, swamps, artificial ponds, and along streams,2,3 and they also venture inside caves and abandoned mines.4 Most active individuals are seen during sunny hours in the morning, crossing roads and trails, basking in open areas or foraging on leaf-litter, soil, or among grass or shrubs.2,3,5 However, individuals are capable of climbing on vegetation up to 2 m above the ground.3 When not active, they hide under logs, timber, agave plants, dirt clods, stones, building blocks, or in crevices.2,3,5
Golden-bellied Snakes have an aglyphous dentition,1 meaning their teeth lack specialized grooves to deliver venom. They are active hunters having a diet primarily based on frogs (including Hyloxalus infraguttatus,4 Epipedobates anthonyi,4 Leptodactylus melanonotus,2 Pristimantis achatinus,5 and P. unistrigatus),3 and tadpoles of Gastrotheca riobambae.3 They also feed on lizards such as Gonatodes caudiscutatus,4 Lepidoblepharis conolepis,2 Pholidobolus montium6 and Stenocercus guentheri.7 Individuals are usually calm and try to flee when threatened, relying mostly on crypsis as a primary defense mechanism. If disturbed, they may flatten their body dorsoventrally and produce a musky and distasteful odor.3 Individuals of Erythrolamprus albiventris are preyed upon by snakes (E. mimus) and by domestic animals (cats and chickens).2
Breeding congregations of Erythrolamprus albiventris have been observed during the rainy season in western Ecuador (December–May). In one hole, five males and one female were coiled into a reproductive ball.5,8 Females lay 5–10 eggs in heaps of rotten vegetation.9,10
Conservation: Near Threatened Not currently at risk of extinction, but requires some level of management to maintain healthy populations..11 Erythrolamprus albiventris is included in this category on the basis of the specie’s wide distribution (here estimated to be ~53,539 km2), presence in over a dozen protected areas, and presumed stable populations.2 The main threat to the long-term survival of populations of E. albiventris is the continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat, mostly due to encroaching human activities such as agriculture, cattle grazing, wild fires, and the replacement of native vegetation with eucalyptus and pine trees. It is estimated that in Ecuador, ~63.3% of the potential habitat of the species has already been destroyed.12 Golden-bellied Snakes also suffer from human persecution and traffic-related mortality.3,5 Therefore, the species may qualify for a threatened category in the near future if these threats are not addressed. However, there is no current information on the population trend of E. albiventris to determine whether its numbers are declining.
Distribution: Erythrolamprus albiventris is endemic to Ecuador, where it is distributed throughout the Chocoan lowlands and adjacent foothills of the Andes as well as in the inter-Andean valley of Quito. The species occurs over an estimated ~53,539 km2 area at elevations between 4 and 3021 m (Fig. 2).
Figure 2: Distribution of Erythrolamprus albiventris in Ecuador. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.
Etymology: The name Erythrolamprus, which comes from the Greek words erythros (meaning “red”) and lampros (meaning “brilliant”),13 refers to the bright red body rings of some snakes in this genus (such as E. aesculapii). The specific epithet albiventris, which comes from the Latin words albus (meaning “white”) and venter (meaning “belly”), refers to the characteristic immaculate ventral surfaces of individuals of this species.14
See it in the wild: Individuals of Erythrolamprus albiventris are frequently encountered in forested areas throughout the specie’s distribution. However, they are particularly abundant in the general area of Mindo and along the old Nono–Mindo road, Pichincha province. The snakes may be spotted as they cross trails and roads in areas having adequate vegetation cover, especially during sunny mornings.
Acknowledgments: Special thanks to Carlos Zorrilla, Eduardo Zavala, and Jose Manuel Falcón for providing locality data and natural history information for Erythrolamprus albiventris. This account was published with the support of Secretaría Nacional de Educación Superior Ciencia y Tecnología (programa INEDITA; project: Respuestas a la crisis de biodiversidad: la descripción de especies como herramienta de conservación; No 00110378), Programa de las Naciones Unidas (PNUD), and Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ).
Special thanks to Annalaura Averill-Murray for symbolically adopting the Golden-bellied Snake and helping bring the Reptiles of Ecuador book project to life.
Click here to adopt a species.
Author: Alejandro ArteagaaAffiliation: Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.
Photographer: Jose VieiraaAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,bAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador.
How to cite? Arteaga A (2020) Golden-bellied Snake (Erythrolamprus albiventris). In: Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Vieira J, Guayasamin JM (Eds) Reptiles of Ecuador: Life in the middle of the world. Available from: www.reptilesofecuador.com. DOI: 10.47051/LLLF9348
Literature cited:
- Dixon JR (1983) Systematics of the Latin American snake Liophis epinephelus (Serpentes: Colubridae). In: Rhodin AGJ, Miyamata K (Eds) Advances in herpetology and evolutionary biology. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, 132–149.
- Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Guayasamin JM (2013) The amphibians and reptiles of Mindo. Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Quito, 257 pp.
- Ramírez-Jaramillo S (2015) Observaciones sobre la historia natural de Erythrolamprus epinephelus albiventris en el valle de quito, Ecuador. Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías 7: 5–7.
- Jose Manuel Falcón, pers. comm.
- Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
- Mafla-Endara P, Ayala-Varela F (2012) Pholidobolus montium (lagartija minadora). Predation. Herpetological Review 43: 137.
- Cadena-Ortiz H, Barahona A, Bahamonde-Vinueza D, Brito J (2017) Anecdotal predation events of some snakes in Ecuador. Herpetozoa 30: 93–96.
- Photographic record by Silvio Paladines.
- Morales MA (2004) Dinámica poblacional de las comunidades de anfibios y reptiles de siete localidades de la zona de amortiguamiento de la Reserva Ecológica Cotacachi-Cayapas, Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Universidad del Azuay, 122 pp.
- Copping R (1957) Reptiles and amphibians of the highlands of Ecuador. British Journal of Herpetology 2: 45–56.
- Carrillo E, Aldás A, Altamirano M, Ayala F, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Endara A, Márquez C, Morales M, Nogales F, Salvador P, Torres ML, Valencia J, Villamarín F, Yánez-Muñoz M, Zárate P (2005) Lista roja de los reptiles del Ecuador. Fundación Novum Millenium, Quito, 46 pp.
- MAE (2012) Línea base de deforestación del Ecuador continental. Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador, Quito, 30 pp.
- Brown RW (1956) Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C., 882 pp.
- Jan G (1863) Enumerazione sistematica degli ofidi appartenenti al gruppo Coronellidae. Archive per la Zoologia, l’Anatomia et la Fisiologia 2: 215–330.
Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Erythrolamprus albiventris in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used.
| Country | Province | Locality | Source |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Above Agua Caliente | This work |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Chaucha valley | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Chilcaplaya | José Manuel Falcón, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Sarayunga | José Manuel Falcón, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Yunguilla | José Manuel Falcón, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | 7 km NW Cumandá | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Balzapamba | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Chazo Juan | Torres-Carvajal & Hinojosa 2020 |
| Ecuador | Cañar | Huatacón | This work |
| Ecuador | Cañar | La Troncal | MZUA.RE.0038 |
| Ecuador | Carchi | Chical | USNM 286302 |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Valle del Chanchán | ANSP 18119 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Bosque Integral Otonga | This work |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Cutzualo | MHNG 2442.053 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Galápagos | MHNG 2411.041 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Las Damas | MHNG 2458.021 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Las Pampas | César Tapia, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Naranjito | Torres-Carvajal & Hinojosa 2020 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Palo Quemado | MHNG 2410.100 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Peñas Coloradas, Sigchos | QCAZ 1698 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | 10 km SE Machala | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | 4 km W Urna Buenaventura | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Bella María | QCAZ 8989 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Chilla | Torres-Carvajal & Hinojosa 2020 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | El Progreso | MHNG 2308.078 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Reserva Biológica Buenaventura | Torres-Carvajal & Hinojosa 2020 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | San Roque | MECN 189 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Zambotambo | This work |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | 30 km NNW Santo Domingo | USNM 232849 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Atacames | MHNG 2221.057 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Canandé Reserve | Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2005 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Centro de Fauna Silvestre James Brown | Photo by Salvador Palacios |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Cupa | MECN 206 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Esmeraldas | USNM 232824 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Mayronga, Lagarto | QCAZ 2261 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Pajonal | Morales 2004 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Playa Rica | MNHN 1902.356 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Reserva Biológica Bilsa | Ortega-Andrade et al. 2010 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Viche | QCAZ 2881 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Balzar | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Bucay | Photo by Keyko Cruz |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Capeira | Photo by Eduardo Zavala |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Taura | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | 2 km E El Rosario | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Cabañas Colibrí | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Intag | Peter Joost, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Intag Cloudforest Reserve | Photo by Carlos Zorrilla |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | La Merced de Buenos Aires | Jesse Kimmerling, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Lita | USNM 232905 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Paramba | Boulenger 1898 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Reserva Los Cedros | Photo by Fernando Rojas |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Río Aguas Claras | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Vicinity of Siempre Verde | Photo by Nelson Ruiz |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Wariman | Photo by Peter Joost |
| Ecuador | Loja | Alamor | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Loja | Alamor, vicinity of | This work |
| Ecuador | Loja | Camino a Vicentino | Torres-Carvajal & Hinojosa 2020 |
| Ecuador | Loja | Celica | Photo by Jorge Castillo |
| Ecuador | Loja | El Limo | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Loja | Huajala | Torres-Carvajal & Hinojosa 2020 |
| Ecuador | Loja | San Ramón | USNM 232906 |
| Ecuador | Loja | Y de Balsones | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | 24 km S Río Baba | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Hacienda La Clementina | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Río Baba | AMNH 110588 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Río Palenque | KU 152605 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | 1.5 km E Nanegalito | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | 13 km NW Nono | KU 158534 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | 15 km NE Quito | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | 3.7 km NE Dos Ríos | KU 142807 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | 4 km N Mindo | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | 4.5 km NW Nono | KU 218423 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | 9 km SE Tandapi | AMNH 113020 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Alambi | This work |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Aldea Ecoturística Puma Sacha | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Alluriquín | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Amaguaña | QCAZ 755 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Barrio Runahurco | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Bellavista Cloudforest Reserve | Pascal Vagner |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Below Pacto | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Birdwatcher House | This work |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Bosque de la Occidental | MECN 186 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Bosque Protector Verdecocha | MECN 2009 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Bosque Seco Nueva Esperanza–Guayllabamba | MECN 2009 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Calacali–Nanegalito road | This work |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Carcelén | Valencia et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Carcelén Bajo | Valencia et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Carretas | Valencia et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Cashapamba | QCAZ 3269 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Cayambe | MHNG 2399.099 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Cerro Montecristi | Valencia et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Checa | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Chiriboga | MHNG 2221.055 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Club Los Chillos | Torres-Carvajal & Hinojosa 2020 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Dos Puentes | Photo by René Lima |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Downtown Mindo | This work |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | El Cedral | This work |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | El Pancillo | Valencia et al. 2017 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | El Quinche | QCAZ 6995 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | El Tingo | MHNG 2442.054 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Eric’s terrain | This work |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Estación La Favorita | iNaturalist |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Gualea | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Hacienda Cababuro | QCAZ 8044 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Hacienda Las Palmas-Río Blanco | MECN 2009 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Hacienda Olalla | Dixon 1983 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Hda. Capelo | MECN 196 |