Mastigodryas bifossatus (Radi, 1820)

Guedes, Thaís B., Nogueira, Cristiano & Marques, Otavio A. V., 2014, Diversity, natural history, and geographic distribution of snakes in the Caatinga, Northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 3863 (1), pp. 1-93 : 32

Mastigodryas bifossatus (Radi, 1820)

(Figs. 12.3 and 25.2)

It was recorded in all states in Caatinga, except Pernambuco and Sergipe, probably due to poor sampling. Most records are from lower altitudes (up to 500 m elevation), except for two records on highlands reaching 900 m elevation. Besides its occurrence in Caatinga, it is widely distributed in the Atlantic Forest, Amazon Forest, Cerrado, Pantanal, and Pampas ( Cunha & Nascimento 1978; Strüssmann & Sazima 1993; Martins & Oliveira 1998; Cechin 1999; Marques et al. 2001; Lema 2002a; Argôlo 2004; Colli 2005; Marques et al. 2005; Marques et al. 2005; Bérnils et al. 2008; Sawaya et al. 2008; Nogueira et al. 2010; Zaher et al. 2011). Inside the Caatinga it occurs in all phytophisiognomies, indicating a generalist trend in habitat use (see also Nogueira et al. 2011). It has terrestrial habits, is diurnal, and feeds on a variety of vertebrates ( Marques et al. 2001, 2005).