FALSE MUSSURANA Boiruna maculata
Like the true Mussuranas of the genus Clelia (with which they were long confused), Boiruna is a large, ophidiophagous (snake-eating) snake immune to the venom of the most deadly viperids. The oily black dorsal surface makes the species initially confusing, but identification is simple following a few basic rules. This species is fairly frequent in the Chaco (where Clelia species are absent or of only marginal occurrence) and can be told from them quickly and easily by the blackish underside of the tail.
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FIGURE 1 - (FPREP878PH) Adult dorsal, Cuenca Upper Yacaré Sur, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith August 2014).
FIGURE 2 - (FPREP879PH) Same individual as (FPREP878PH) ventral (Paul Smith August 2014).
FIGURE 3 - (FPREP880PH) Same individual as (FPREP878PH) lateral head (Paul Smith August 2014).
FIGURE 4 - (FPREP881PH) Same individual as (FPREP878PH) dorsal head (Paul Smith August 2014).
FIGURE 5 - (FPREP882PH) Same individual as (FPREP878PH) ventral head (Paul Smith August 2014).
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