Epicrates assisi Machado, 1945

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 : 23

Epicrates assisi Machado, 1945 “Salamanta, Cobra-arco-íris”

(Figs. 9.4 and 22.2)

Caatinga endemic species. There are records for this species in all portions of the Caatinga. It is distributed in areas from sea level to 983 m elevation. It inhabits all phytophisiognomies of the Caatinga and was recorded recently also in the Atlantic Forest domain near the coast, perhaps as a result of secondary dispersion due to the deforestation of these areas (P. Passos, pers. comm.). It is simpatric with E. crassus in north Minas Gerais, in the Cerrado-Caatinga contact area ( Passos & Fernandes 2008). It has semi-arboreal habits, is nocturnal, and feeds on vertebrates ( Guedes 2006).