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Photographs on this page were taken by Paul Smith and are used with permission.
BANDED HOGNOSED SNAKE Xenodon pulcher CHACO
Looks like a Coral Snake doesn´t it? But don´t worry this is a perfectly harmless, slow-moving mimic species that poses no threat. A couple of clues give away its "falseness". Note that the bands don´t go all the way around the body, they are confined to the dorsal surface, and the upturned snout (the "hog-nose" referred to in the common name) is characteristic of this genus of fakers. The species was formerly known as Lystrophis semicinctus.
Click on the image to enlarge it.
Gallery 1 Normal colouration
FIGURE 1a - (FPREP254PH) Dorsal view of adult, Laguna Bombacha, Departamento Presidente Hayes (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 1b - (FPREP255PH) Same individual as (FPREP254PH) (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 1c - (FPREP256PH) Same individual as (FPREP254PH) head detail (Paul Smith October 2008).
FIGURE 1d - (FPREP983PH) Adult, PN Tte Enciso, Departamento Boquerón (Paul Smith November 2017).
FIGURE 1e - (FPREP984PH) Same individual as (FPREP983PH) dorsal (Paul Smith November 2017).
FIGURE 1a

FIGURE 1a
FIGURE 1b

FIGURE 1b
FIGURE 1c

FIGURE 1c
FIGURE 1d

FIGURE 1d
FIGURE 1e

FIGURE 1e
Gallery 2 Melanic colouration
FIGURE 2a - (FPREP701PH) Melanic specimen, Fortin Toledo, Departamento Boqueron (Paul Smith July 2012).
FIGURE 2b - (FPREP702PH) Same individual head detail  (Paul Smith July 2012).
FIGURE 2c - (FPREP703PH) Same individual head dorsal  (Paul Smith July 2012).
FIGURE 2d - (FPREP704PH) Same individual scale detail  (Paul Smith July 2012).
FIGURE 2e - (FPREP705PH) Same individual ventral  (Paul Smith July 2012).
FIGURE 2a

FIGURE 2a
FIGURE 2b

FIGURE 2b
FIGURE 2c

FIGURE 2c
FIGURE 2d

FIGURE 2d
FIGURE 2e

FIGURE 2e