ANIMALS - REPTILES - SNAKES - SOUTH AMERICAN GREEN RACER (PHILODRYAS AESTIVA)

Animals - Reptiles - Snakes

South American Green Racer (Philodryas olfersii)

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Subphylum : Vertebrata
Class : Reptilia
Order : Squamata
Suborder : Serpentes
Family : Colubridae
Subfamily :Xenodontinae
Genus : Philodryas
Species : P. Olfersii

Description:

South American Green Racer(Philodryas olfersii) is a species of colubrid snake, endemic to South America, known also by the common names Lichtenstein's green racer, and eastern green whiptail, and in Brazil, cobra-cipó, cobra de São João, cobra-facão, cobra-verde, and mboi-obi.

The specific name, olfersii, is in honor of German naturalist Ignaz von Olfers.

It is native to much of South America, including Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, French Guiana, and Venezuela.

P. olfersii reaches 1 to 1.5 meters (about 40 to 60 inches) in maximum total length.

Dorsally, it is green in color; ventrally, it is yellowish.

The dorsal scales are smooth, without apical pits, and are arranged in 19 rows at midbody.

It can be found in many habitat types, including the Cerrado, Caatinga, forests, forest transition, and restinga.

This species is often arboreal, but it also forages on the ground. It is diurnal, though it has been observed mating late in the evening.

Prey items include rodents, lizards, amphibians, and birds, especially nestlings. They will also eat other snakes, including ones almost as large as themselves.

The egg of the snake measures about 5 centimeters (about 2 inches). The clutch size is 4 to 11 eggs, with larger females producing more eggs than smaller ones.

Binomial Name:

Name : Philodryas olfersii
Taxonomist : Martin Hinrich Carl Lichtenstein (Hamburg - Germany)
Year : 1823
Subspecies : 3 (Herbeus, Iatirostris, Olfersii)
Synonyms : Coluber olfersii, Herpetodryas olfersii, Dryophylax olfersii, Philodryas olfersii

Conservation Status by IUCN:

Status : Not Evaluated, or not data available

Philatelic Issues

2001 - Uruguay - Stamp 1 of 2, from Snakes Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: May 28th, 2001
Printed: 15.000 Copies
Type: Stamp from Series of 2 Stamps
Value: UYP 11

Stamp: Rectangular
Size: 39 mm. x 27 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated

ANIMALS – BIRDS – SEABIRDS – KELP GULL (LARUS DOMINICANUS)

Animals - Birds - Seabirds

Kelp gull (Larus dominicanus)

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Charadriiformes
Family :Laridae
Genus : Larus
Species : L. Dominicanus

Description:

The Kelp gull(Larus dominicanus), also known as the Dominican gull, is a gullwhich breeds on coasts and islands through much of the southern hemisphere. The nominate L. d. dominicanus is the subspecies found around South America, parts of Australia (where it overlaps with the Pacific gull), and New Zealand (where it is known as the southern black-backed gull or by its Māori name karoro). L. d. vetula (known as the Cape gull) is a subspecies occurring around southern Africa.

The specific name comes from theDominican Order of friars, who wear black and white habits.

The kelp gull superficially resembles two gulls from further north in the Atlantic Ocean, the lesser black-backed gull and the great black-backed gull and is intermediate in size between these two species. This species ranges from 54 to 65 cm (21 to 26 in) in total length, from 128 to 142 cm (50 to 56 in) in wingspan and from 540 to 1,390 g (1.19 to 3.06 lb) in weight. Adult males and females weigh on average 1,000 g (2.2 lb) and 900 g (2.0 lb) respectively. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 37.3 to 44.8 cm (14.7 to 17.6 in), the bill is 4.4 to 5.9 cm (1.7 to 2.3 in) and the tarsus is 5.3 to 7.5 cm (2.1 to 3.0 in). The adult kelp gull has black upperparts and wings. The head, underparts, tail, and the small "mirrors" at the wing tips are white. The bill is yellow with a red spot, and the legs are greenish-yellow (brighter and yellower when breeding, duller and greener when not breeding). The call is a strident ki-och. Juveniles have dull legs, a black bill, a dark band in the tail, and an overall grey-brown plumage densely edged whitish, but they rapidly get a pale base to the bill and largely white head and underparts. They take three or four years to reach maturity.

Binomial Name:

Name : Larus dominicanus
Taxonomist : Martin Hinrich Carl Lichtenstein (Hamburg - Germany)
Year : 1823
Subspecies : 5 (Dominicanus, Vetula, Judithae, Melisandae, Austrinus)
Synonyms : None or not data available

Conservation Status by IUCN:

Status :Least Concern

Has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as evaluated but not qualified for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, near threatened, or (prior to 2001) conservation dependent.

Philatelic Issues

2011 – Uruguay – Unique Stamp, from “Isla de Flores” National Park Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: November 16th, 2011
Printed: 15.000 copies
Type : Unique Stamp from Series
Value : UYP 12

Stamp : Rectangular
Size: 47 mm. x 32 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated

ANIMALS – BIRDS – SEABIRDS – RUFOUS-CHESTED PLOVER (CHARADRIUS MODESTUS)

Animals - Birds - Seabirds

Rufous-Chested Plover (Charadrius modestus)

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Charadriiformes
Family :Charadriidae
Genus : Charadrius
Species : C. Modestus

Description:

The Rufous-chested ploveror Rufous-chested dotterel (Charadrius modestus) is a species of bird in the Charadriidae family. It breeds in southern parts of Argentina and Chile and on the Falkland Islands. Some birds migrate north in winter, reaching as far as Uruguay, southern Brazil and occasionally Peru. Its natural habitats are temperate grassland and sandy shores.

Binomial Name:

Name : Charadrius modestus
Taxonomist : Martin Hinrich Carl Lichtenstein (Hamburg - Germany)
Year : 1823
Subspecies : None or not data available
Synonyms : None or not data available

Conservation Status by IUCN:

Status :Least Concern

Has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as evaluated but not qualified for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, near threatened, or (prior to 2001) conservation dependent.

Philatelic Issues

2015 - Uruguay - Stamp 2 of 4, from Spring Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: August 31st, 2012
Printed: 15.000 Copies
Type: Stamp from Series of 4 Stamps
Value: UYP 12

Stamp: Rectangular
Size: 39 mm. x 27 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated