Dipsas oneilli, also known commonly as O'Neill's tree snake, is a species of snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Peru.

Etymology

The specific name, oneilli, is in honor of American ornithologist John P. O'Neill.

Geographic distribution

Dipsas oneilli is found in the Andes of northwestern Peru, on both the Pacific slope and the Amazonian slope, at elevations of 1,646–3,500 m (5,400–11,483 ft).

Behavior

Dipsas oneilli is arboreal.

Diet

Dipsas oneilli preys predominately upon mollusks.

Reproduction

Dipsas oneilli is oviparous.

Further reading

  • Arteaga, A.; Salazar-Valenzuela, D.; Mebert, K.; Peñafiel, N.; Aguiar, G.; Sánchez-Nivicela, J.C.; Pyron, R.A.; Colston, T.J.; Cisneros-Heredia, D.F.; Yánez-Muñoz, M.H.; Venegas, P.J.; Guayasamin, J.M.; Torres-Carvajal, O. (2018). "Systematics of South American snail-eating snakes (Serpentes, Dipsadini), with the description of five new species from Ecuador and Peru". ZooKeys. 766: 79–147. (Dipsas oneilli, new combination).
  • Cadle, J.E. (2007). "The snake genus Sibynomorphus (Colubridae: Dipsadinae: Dipsadini) in Peru and Ecuador, with comments on the systematics of Dipsadini". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 158 (5): 183–283. (in English, with an abstract in Spanish).
  • Rossman, D.A.; Kizirian, D.A. (1993). "Variation in the Peruvian Dipsadine Snakes Sibonymorphus oneilli and S. vagus". Journal of Herpetology. 27 (1): 87–90.
  • Rossman, D.A.; Thomas, R. (1979). "A New Dipsadine Snake of the Genus Sibynomorphus from Peru". Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, Louisiana State University (54): 1–6. (Sibynomorphus oneilli, new species).