- Source: Geophis godmani
Geophis godmani, also known commonly as Godman's earth snake, the yellow-bellied earth snake, and la culebra minadora de Godman in American Spanish, is a species of snake in the Family Colubridae. The species is native to Central America.
Etymology
The specific name, godmani, is in honor of British naturalist Frederick DuCane Godman.
Geographic range
G. godmani is found in Costa Rica and Panama.
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of G. godmani is forest, at altitudes of 1,100–2,100 m (3,600–6,900 ft), but is also found in forest clearings used as pasture.
Description
G. godmani is brownish black dorsally, and yellow ventrally. It may attain a total length of 40 cm (16 in), which includes a tail 5.5 cm (2.2 in) long. Its dorsal scales are completely smooth, and they are arranged in 15 rows at midbody.
Behavior
G. godmani is terrestrial and secretive, hiding under rocks and logs.
Reproduction
G. godmani is oviparous.
References
Further reading
Amaral A (1929). "Estudos sobre ophídios neotropicos, XVIII – Lista remissiva dos ophídios da região neotropica". Memórias do Istituto Butantan (São Paulo) 4: 126–271. (Catastoma godmani, new combination, p. 192). (in Portuguese).
Boulenger GA (1894). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xi + 382 pp. + Plates I–XX. (Geophis godmani, new species, p. 322 + Plate XVI, figure 4, three views of head).
Santamaría Martínez, Jerson Arturo; Mora, José Manuel; Alpízar Rodríguez, Jorge; Rodríguez Rojas, Emmanuel; Ramírez Alvarado, Jasdiel; Torres Medina, Ruth (2021). "Albinism in a Yellow-bellied Earth Snake (Geophis godmani Boulenger, 1894) (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) from Central Costa Rica". Caribbean Journal of Science 51 (1): 14–19.
Savage JM (2002). The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. xx + 945 pp. ISBN 0-226-73537-0.