Spilotes sulphureus

Spilotes sulphureus, commonly known as the yellow-bellied hissing snake or Amazon puffing snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Colubridae. It is widely distributed throughout South America, as well as the Caribbean island of Trinidad.

Taxonomy
Originally placed in the genus Pseustes, it is now considered in the genus Spilotes.

Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.


 * S. s. sulphureus (Wagler, 1824)
 * S. s. dieperinkii (Schlegel, 1837)

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was original described in a genus other than Spilotes.

Description
S. sulphureus is a large snake, which can grow up to 3 m in total length (including tail). Its venom is bimodal and can directly affect both mammal and reptile prey.

Diet
Adults of S. sulphureus feed on small mammals, birds and other snakes (both venomous and non-venomous), while juveniles feed on lizards, mice and rats.