Mastigodryas heathii

Mastigodryas heathii, also known commonly as Heath's tropical racer, is a species of snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to northwestern South America.

Mastigodryas heathii
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Mastigodryas
Species:	M. heathii
Binomial name
Mastigodryas heathii (Cope, 1875)
Synonyms[2]
Drymobius heathii Cope, 1875 Dryadophis heathii — Stuart, 1939 Dryadophis boddaertii heathii — Schmidt & W. Walker, 1943 Mastigodryas heathii — Lehr, G. Köhler & B. Streit, 2002

Etymology

The specific name, heathii, is in honor of American physician Edwin Ruthven Heath (1839–1932), who collected herpetological specimens in South America.^[3]

Geographic range

M. heathii is found in Ecuador and Peru^[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of M. heathii are desert and forest, at altitudes from sea level to 2,620 m (8,600 ft), and it is also found in cultivated areas.^[1]

Diet

M. heathii preys upon frogs, lizards, and rodents.^[2]

Reproduction

M. heathi is oviparous.^[2]