Tantilla melanocephala, commonly known as the black-headed snake, the neotropical black-headed snake, and la culebra de cabeza negra in Spanish, is a small species of snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to Central America and South America.
Geographic range In Central America Tantilla melanocephala is found from Guatemala south to Panama. In South America it is found from Trinidad and Tobago south to northern Argentina. 270 pp.
Habitat The preferred natural habitats of Tantilla melanocephala are grassland, savanna, and forest, at altitudes from sea level to , and it has also been found in artificial habitats such as pastures, gardens, and plantations.
Description Tantilla melanocephala may attain a total length of , which includes a tail long.
Dorsally, it is pale brown or red, and some specimens also have 3 or 5 narrow brown stripes. The top of the head and neck are black or dark brown. Ventrally, it is yellowish white.
The dorsal scales are smooth, without apical pits, and arranged in 15 rows at midbody.
Behavior Tantilla melanocephala is terrestrial and diurnal.
Diet Tantilla melanocephala preys predominately upon centipedes and possibly occasionally other arthropods.
As prey Tantilla melanocephala is preyed upon by the venomous snake Micrurus paraensis. xii + 328 pp., 38 maps, 63 color photographs, 49 color pattern drawings.
Reproduction Tantilla melanocephala is oviparous. www.reptile-database.org.
Taxonomy Several species of snakes, which were originally described as species new to science, are synonyms of Tantilla melanocephala. The following is a partial list in chronological order. Elapomorphus mexicanus Tantilla pallida Homalocranium longifrontale Homalocranium hoffmanni Elapomorphus nuchalis Tantilla equatoriana Tantilla marcovani
Etymology The synonym Tantilla marcovani was named in honor of Brazilian biologist Marcovan Porto.
References
External links Tantilla melanocephala on Flickr.
Further reading Freiberg, M. (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. . (Tantilla melanocephala, p. 111). Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio Decima, Reformata. Stockholm: L. Salvius. 824 pp. (Coluber melanocephalus, new species, p. 218).