Spilotes sulphureus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
Spilotes sulphureus, commonly known as the yellow-bellied hissing snake or Amazon puffing snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Colubridae. It is widely distributed throughout South America, as well as the Caribbean island of Trinidad.
Originally placed in the genus Pseustes, it is now considered in the genus Spilotes. Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was original described in a genus other than Spilotes. S. sulphureus is a large snake, which can grow up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) in total length (including tail). Its venom is bimodal and can directly affect both mammal and reptile prey. Adults of S. sulphureus feed on small mammals, birds and other snakes (both venomous and
non-venomous), while juveniles feed on lizards, mice and rats. Boulenger GA (1894). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brownsberg Nature Park | 🇸🇷 Suriname | |
| 2 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dvůr Králové Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Brevard Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report an Amazon Puffing Snake sighting in Brownsberg Nature Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 15th most-seen of the 22 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report an Amazon Puffing Snake in Brownsberg Nature Park on a given day, against under 5% in January to March, the lowest months. June and August–September have too few records to rate.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Amazon Puffing Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Amazon Puffing Snake sightings, Brownsberg Nature Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Manu National Park (Peru, about 10%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Amazon Puffing Snake that you can see in Brownsberg Nature Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Panama Spotted Night Snake (about 40%), Boie's Ground Snake (about 30%) and Blunthead Tree Snake (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Amazon Puffing Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Brownsberg Nature Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
