When Reinaldo went back to photograph the Terciopelo that I had nearly stepped on, he realized that it's male partner was just a few feet off (above center of image - would you have spotted this?). We hadn't seen it the first time. Our neighbors say that October and November is mating season and that's why these snakes come onto the forest trails . Maybe there is truth in this. They also say that you must kill Mussurana, or Zopilota (Clelia clelia) snakes as these mate with Terciopelo and make more Terciopelos, which is clearly not true! Perhaps this local falacy came about when someone witnessed a Mussarana - a blue-black, non-venomous snake, of up to ca. 3 meters - eating a Terciopelo, which the species is famed for doing. For a great photo and account of this surprising behaviour, check out Jack Ewing's page at: http://www.travelblogs.com/articles/a-terciopelos-nightmare/
