Reptile
Smooth Machete Savane
Chironius scurrulus
The Smooth Machete Savane is a third Chironius species recorded from Trinidad, known from a single doubtful specimen in Boos (2001). Its presence on the island is uncertain and may represent a misidentification or stray individual. Like the other machete savanes it would be a large, diurnal, non-venomous colubrid, fully protected under Trinidadian law.
Description
Chironius scurrulus differs from its congeners by having smooth (unkeeled) mid-dorsal scales, a feature that distinguishes it in the hand but is difficult to confirm in the field. The Trinidad record is based on a single specimen and is considered doubtful by Boos (2001). If confirmed, it would represent the southernmost record of the species.
Ecology
As with all members of this genus, if present it would be a diurnal, terrestrial and semi-arboreal predator of frogs and lizards. Non-venomous. Protected under COWA.
Threats
- Status uncertain; no conservation assessment possible without confirmed records