A New iNat User Posts an Amazing Guatemalan Neckband Snake! - Observation of the Week, 2/15/22

Our Observation of the Week is this Guatemala Neckband Snake (Scaphiodontophis annulatus), seen in Mexico by @perlachuc!

Last February, a few of Perla Chuc’s friends from Mexico City and Chiapas came to visit her in the Mexican state of Tabasco, near the Guatemalan border. “We planned a field trip to the municipality of Macuspana to try and photograph whatever we could find,” she says.

After walking for a while my companion Leo spotted something moving through the vegetation and saw the Scaphiodontophis annulatus snake. We just had the right time to photograph it, and I only had my cell phone, but I still took one photo. It’s a spectacular species, just too beautiful. It was a good day, my friends and I were satisfied and happy with this new personal record.

While Guatemalan neckband snakes do occur in Guatemala, they obviously range elsewhere and can be found from southern Mexico into Colombia, often in forest leaf litter. They prey mostly on ground skinks (Scincella sp.) as well as other lizards and sometimes frogs, but one was recently observed dining on a Tantilla moesta snake. 

A nature lover since she was a child, Perla (above, with her first salamander) is a biologist with a particular interest in amphibians and other herpetofauna. She’s hoping to study them further while going for a postgraduate degree.

As for iNat, she tells me she’s known about it for a few years

and I used it to confirm records and species distribution or occasional identifications, but I had no real interest in uploading photos. It wasn’t until some friends started using it that I was actually encouraged to do so as well. I created my account and started to upload all the photos I was able to capture from previous years. Yes I was late to iNat, but using the app is now part of my day. Most of all I like to review herpetofauna and see what is new in this group. I love seeing how people get interested in uploading photos, identifying them,  and knowing more about a particular species once they get an identification. This makes us care about the world around us and the living things we share the planet with.

(Perla’s answers were translated from Spanish by @aztekium_tutor and have been lightly edited for clarity. Photo of Perla by Leonardo Ponce.)


- Check out the pattern variability of Guatemalan Neckband Snakes on iNat! 

Posted on Φεβρουάριος 16, 2022 0125 ΠΜ by tiwane tiwane

Σχόλια

¡Felicidades @perlachuc ! Está muy bonito la foto de la serpiente. Bienvenidos a inaturalista. :)

Αναρτήθηκε από cammie περίπου 2 χρόνια πριν

Such a cool find, and an amazing shot especially considering you only had a cellphone and little time! It sounds like you all had a wonderful day. Thanks for sharing, Perla.

Αναρτήθηκε από lisa_bennett περίπου 2 χρόνια πριν

Thank you Perla for letting us all see this beautiful snake!

Αναρτήθηκε από susanhewitt περίπου 2 χρόνια πριν

Your philosophy on how using iNat helps all of us care about nature and our planet is wonderful and I think that sentiment is shared by so many of us. Keep uploading all your finds and expand this important knowledge. Thank you!

Αναρτήθηκε από maryah περίπου 2 χρόνια πριν

Fantastic photography and ideology!

Αναρτήθηκε από mythical_mold περίπου 2 χρόνια πριν

Felicidades @perlachuc !!! Me encantó tu historia! que sean muchos años de nuevas obervaciones!

Αναρτήθηκε από aztekium περίπου 2 χρόνια πριν

Wow! That's an enchanting find and a mesmerizing picture. That's awesome, thank you for sharing!

Αναρτήθηκε από mbwildlife περίπου 2 χρόνια πριν

Wonderful! Beautiful photo of a beautiful snake!

Αναρτήθηκε από artemis224 περίπου 2 χρόνια πριν

Wonderful find @perlachuc! Such a beautiful creature - thank you for joining iNat and sharing this beauty - a brilliant reminder of the importance of encouraging ever earthling to work to help our planet heal.

Maravilloso hallazgo @perlachuc! Una criatura tan hermosa, gracias por unirte a iNat y compartir esta belleza, un brillante recordatorio de la importancia de alentar a todos los terrícolas a trabajar para ayudar a que nuestro planeta sane.

Αναρτήθηκε από roserobin περίπου 2 χρόνια πριν

Sorry, meant 'Earthlings' not 'earthling'...

Lo siento, quería decir 'terrícolas' no 'terrícolas'...

Αναρτήθηκε από roserobin περίπου 2 χρόνια πριν

Thank you for sharing this beautiful creature and your story!

Αναρτήθηκε από ocean_beach_goth περίπου 2 χρόνια πριν

Beautiful shot

Αναρτήθηκε από kestrel-- περίπου 2 χρόνια πριν

It is such a gorgeous snake -- what a fun observation. Thanks for sharing it with us all, @perlachuc !

Αναρτήθηκε από sambiology περίπου 2 χρόνια πριν

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