About Oxyrhopus melanogenys (Tschudi, 1845)
Adults of Oxyrhopus melanogenys can reach a total length of 68 cm (27 in), including a 17 cm (6.7 in) long tail. Dorsally, the body is red or reddish brown, and each dorsal scale has black edges or a black tip. A small number of black crossbands may appear in groups of three (called triads) on the anterior part of the body. The top of the head and the nape of the neck are black. The ventral side of the body is yellowish. This species is often confused with Oxyrhopus trigeminus. Its dorsal scales are smooth, have apical pits, and are arranged in 19 rows at midbody. The subspecies O. m. melanogenys is native to Bolivia, Peru, Brazil (the states of Rondônia, Amazonas, and Pará), Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana, and Venezuela (the states of Amazonas and Bolívar). The subspecies O. m. orientalis occurs in Peru and the Brazilian state of Pará.
