| Mexican Vine Snake | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Oxybelis |
| Species: | O. aeneus |
| Binomial name | |
| Oxybelis aeneus (Wagler, 1824) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Dryinus aeneus Wagler, 1824 |
|
Oxybelis aeneus, the Mexican Vine Snake or Brown Vine Snake, is a colubrid snake that ranges from southern Arizona in the United States,[1] through Mexico to northern South America and Trinidad and Tobago. It feeds mainly on lizards, but also eats frogs and birds.
This is an extremely slender snake that reaches up to 1.9 metres (6.2 ft) in length. Its colour may vary from gray to brown with a yellow underside. In Arizona it is also called 'pike-headed tree snake'.[2] In Trinidad and Tobago, it is known as a 'Horse Whip' or 'Vine Snake'. Mostly arboreal and diurnal, this snake is quite often mistaken for a vine. When threatened, this snake sometimes releases foul smelling secretions from its vent. O. aeneus is a mildly venomous rear-fanged snake, but it is not considered dangerous. However, a bite can cause an itching sensation.
Oxybelis aeneus is oviparous. Clutch sizes of 3-6 have been published. In Arizona, hatching occurs in September.[3]