The preferred natural habitat of M. boddaerti is forest, at altitudes of 24–2,600 m (79–8,530 ft).[1]
Description
M. boddaerti changes coloration ontogenetically. Juveniles from Guyana have a brown dorsum with grayish tan bands, with white spots ventrolaterally on anterior ends of the tan bands. The chin and throat are white, with dark brown irregular spots. The venter is tan-colored. Adults are nearly uniform brown dorsally, with traces of bands anteriorly. There is a lateral light tan stripe on the anterior half of the body. The venter is light gray with darker gray smudges on the throat.[5] Individuals from Brazilian Amazonas measured up to 109 centimetres (3 ft 7 in) in snout–vent length.[6]
Behavior
M. boddaerti is diurnal and mainly terrestrial, but it will occasionally climb low vegetation.[1]
Diet
M. boddaerti feeds on young birds, frogs, lizards, and mice.[4][7] Specimens from Brazilian Amazonas fed mostly on lizards, followed by mammals and frogs.[6]
^Boulenger GA (1894). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xi + 382 pp. + Plates I-XX. (Drymobius boddaertii, pp. 11-14).
^ abSiqueira, Débora M.; Nascimento, Loana P.; Santos-Costa, Maria Cristina Dos (2012). "Feeding biology of Boddaert's tropical racer, Mastigodryas boddaerti (Serpentes, Colubridae) from the Brazilian Amazon". South American Journal of Herpetology. 7 (3): 226–232. doi:10.2994/057.007.0304. S2CID85848081.
Sentzen UJ (1796). "Ophiologische Fragmente ". Zoologische Archiv [part 2]. Leipzig: F.A.A. Meyer. (Coluber boddaertii, new species, pp. 59, 66). (in German).
Stuart LC (1933). "Studies on Neotropical Colubrinae: II. Some New Species and Subspecies of Eudryas Fitzinger, with an Annotated List of the Forms of Eudryas boddaertii (Sentzen)". Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan (254): 1-10.