Types of vine snakes

Oxybelis is a genus of slender, day-active tree snakes in the family Colubridae, the largest snake family. The common name covers the American or New World vine snakes, including the Green Vine Snake, Cope's Vine Snake, Koehler's Vine Snake, and the Thornscrub Vine Snake. Our database lists 11 species, and study of the group keeps revising species boundaries, with several names having been split out in recent years.

These snakes are found across the warmer parts of the Americas, from the southwestern United States through Mexico and Central America into much of tropical South America. They are arboreal and live in forest, woodland, thornscrub, plantations, and brushy edges, where they move through branches and low vegetation hunting by sight. They are most active during the day.

Members are easy to recognize as a group. The body is extremely long and thin, the head is narrow and tapers to a sharply pointed, elongated snout, and the eye is set forward for good binocular vision. Color varies by species, from a vivid leaf green to brown or gray, often with a paler line along the lower side. The vine-like shape and habit of holding still or swaying gently in the wind make these snakes very hard to pick out against twigs and foliage.

Oxybelis are rear-fanged and mildly venomous. They have enlarged grooved teeth at the back of the upper jaw and a venom suited to subduing small prey. They are not considered dangerous to people and bites are uncommon, but they are not harmless either. A bite from a rear-fanged snake can cause local swelling, pain, or other reactions, and individual sensitivity varies. Do not handle a wild snake to test how it reacts. If a bite occurs, seek medical care; in the US contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, and elsewhere contact local emergency services.

Ecologically they are visual ambush and active hunters that feed mainly on lizards, along with frogs, small birds, and the occasional small mammal, striking quickly and holding prey while the rear fangs work the venom in. Most species lay eggs. Behavior is generally calm and cryptic; when threatened they tend to freeze and rely on camouflage, but they may gape widely to show a dark mouth lining and bluff before they ever attempt to bite.