Spilotes sulphureus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Amazon Puffing Snake sighting in Manu National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 29th most-seen of the 56 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Amazon Puffing Snake in Manu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February–May and September, the lowest months. That is one of Manu National Park's wettest months, with about 250 mm of rain against 60 mm in August.
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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Amazon Puffing Snake sightings, Manu National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Brownsberg Nature Park (Suriname, about 30%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Amazon Puffing Snake that you can see in Manu National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Blunthead Tree Snake (about 30%), Tschudi's False Coral Snake (about 20%) and Northern Woodland Racer (about 20%), 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 Manu National Park (15 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.
