''Oxyrhopus formosus'' (vernacular names: beautiful calico snake, Formosa false coral snake) is a

neotropical The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bioge ...

snake of the family

Dipsadidae Dipsadinae is a large subfamily of colubroid snakes, sometimes referred to as a family (Dipsadidae). They are found in most of the Americas, including the West Indies, and are most diverse in South America. There are more than 700 species. Dips ...

. Its distribution is not fully understood, because of inaccurate identifications and confusion with other ''Oxyrhopus'' species. It has been reported from Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. Reports from the Guiana region are based on misidentified '' O. occipitalis''. ''Oxyrhopus formosus'' are robust, the head is entirely yellow, and adults are red with prominent black bands; ''O. occipitalis'' are slender, the snout is yellow and the top of head is brown, and adults are red with faint crossbands.

References

Oxyrhopus Snakes of Brazil Reptiles of Colombia Reptiles of Peru Taxa named by Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied Reptiles described in 1820 {{snake-stub