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Blunt Vine-Snake (Oxybelis brevirostris)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Serpentes | Colubridae | Oxybelis | Oxybelis brevirostris
English common names: Blunt Vine-Snake, Short-nosed Vinesnake, Cope’s Vine Snake.
Spanish common names: Bejuquilla hocicorta, serpiente liana de hocico corto.
Recognition: ♂♂ 93.4 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=54.2 cm. ♀♀ 107.3 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=64.5 cm..1–4 Oxybelis brevirostris differs from other co-occurring green snakes by having an extraordinarily thin body, an acuminate snout, no loreal scale, and smooth or weakly keeled dorsal scales arranged in 15 rows at mid-body.3,5 The dorsal surfaces are uniformly leaf green with brown marks and a black stripe that runs from the nostril to the neck (Fig. 1).6 This species is often confused with snakes of the genus Leptophis, which can be identified by having a round snout and strongly keeled dorsal scales.5 Males of O. brevirostris differ from females by having a longer tail.1
Figure 1: Individuals of Oxybelis brevirostris from Ecuador: Buenaventura Reserve, El Oro province (); Cerro de Hayas, Guayas province (); Gualpi, Esmeraldas province (). j=juvenile.
Natural history: Oxybelis brevirostris is a strictly arboreal snake that inhabits lowland and foothill rainforests, where it can occur in densities of 20 individuals/km, particularly along streams and pristine forest trails.4 The species also occupies secondary forests, roadsides, and plantations.3,7,8 Blunt Vine-Snakes actively forage during the day,9 either on vegetation or on the forest floor.4 At night, they usually roost on understory vegetation within 2 m from the ground,3,10 with larger individuals selecting higher perches up to 10 m above the ground.1,4 Oxybelis brevirostris is an opisthoglyphous snake, meaning it has enlarged grooved teeth towards the rear of the maxilla, and is considered mildly venomous.11 In other Oxybelis, enzymatic and neurotoxic properties were found in the venom, which is or may be acutely toxic to Anolis lizards (their usual prey).12 In O. brevirostris, the diet includes mainly frogs and lizards.11–13 This species is oviparous, with clutches consisting of 3–6 eggs.11,15 A salient defense mechanism of these snakes consists of a adopting a stiff position in which the tongue extended, remaining immobile but alert.4 If handled, they can strike repeatedly, but usually prefer just to flee into vegetation.4
Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances..16 Oxybelis brevirostris is listed in this category because it is a widely distributed species with presumed large populations that have not experienced rapid declines. In a studied snake community in western Panama, the rate of occurrence of O. brevirostris remained stable between 1997 and 2012.17 In other locations, such as in southwestern Ecuador, these snakes occur in higher densities than any other co-occurring snake.4 The most important threat to this arboreal species is the loss of rainforest due to agricultural expansion.
Distribution: Oxybelis brevirostris is widely distributed in the Chocó and Mesoamerica biomes, from the Atlantic slopes of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama to the Pacific lowlands of Colombia and Ecuador (Fig. 2).
Figure 2: Distribution of Oxybelis brevirostris in Ecuador. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.
Etymology: The generic name Oxybelis comes from the Greek words oxys (=acute) and belos (=arrow).18 The specific epithet brevirostris comes from the Latin words brevis (=short) and rostrum (=snout),18 and refers to the snout, which is truncated at the tip.
See it in the wild: In Ecuador, Blunt Vine-Snakes can be seen with almost complete certainly at Canandé, Buenaventura, and Bilsa biological reserves. Although diurnal, these snakes are easier to find at night, as they tend to roost on exposed surfaces of leaves and ferns.
Author: Amanda QuezadaaAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,bAffiliation: Laboratorio de Herpetología, Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador.
Editor: Alejandro ArteagacAffiliation: Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.
Photographer: Jose VieiraaAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,dAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador.
How to cite? Quezada A (2023) Blunt Vine-Snake (Oxybelis brevirostris). In: Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Vieira J (Eds) Reptiles of Ecuador: Life in the middle of the world. Available from: www.reptilesofecuador.com. DOI: 10.47051/XZYQ9216
Literature cited:
- Montgomery CE, Lips KR, Ray JM (2011) Ontogenetic shift in height of sleeping perches of Cope’s Vine Snake, Oxybelis brevirostris. The Southwestern Naturalist 56: 358-362.
- Sexton OJ, Heatwole H (1965) Life history notes on some Panamanian snakes. Caribbean Journal of Science 5: 39-43.
- Lotzkat S (2014) Diversity, taxonomy, and biogeography of the reptiles inhabiting the highlands of the Cordillera Central (Serranía de Talamanca and Serranía de Tabasará) in western Panama. PhD thesis, Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt am Main, 931 pp.
- Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
- Savage JM (2002) The amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica, a herpetofauna between two continents, between two seas. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 934 pp.
- Taylor EH (1951) A brief review ot the snakes of Costa Rica. The University of Kansas Science Bulletin 34: 3-188.
- Yánez-Muñoz MH, Bejarano-Muñoz P, Sánchez-Nivicela JC (2019) Anfibios y reptiles del páramo al manglar. Capítulo II. In: Garzón-Santomaro C, Sánchez-Nivicela JC, Mena-Valenzuela P, González-Romero D, Mena-Jaén JL (Eds) Anfibios, reptiles y aves de la provincia de El Oro. GADPEO–INABIO, Quito, 45–86.
- Ortega-Andrade HM, Bermingham J, Aulestia C, Paucar C (2010) Herpetofauna of the Bilsa Biological Station, province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Check List 6: 119–154. DOI: 10.15560/6.1.119
- Henderson RW (1982) Trophic relationships and foraging strategies of some New World tree snakes (Leptophis, Oxybelis, Uromacer). Amphibia-Reptilia 3: 71–80.
- Nicholson KE, McCranie JR, Köhler G (2000) Herpetofaunal expedition to Parque Nacional Patuca: a newly established park in Honduras. Herpetological Bulletin 72: 26–31.
- Solórzano A (2004) Serpientes de Costa Rica. Distribución, taxonomía e historia natural. Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, 792 pp.
- Heyborne WH, Mackessy SP (2021) Venoms of New World vinesnakes (Oxybelis aeneus and O. fulgidus). Toxicon 190: 22-30. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.12.002
- Henderson RW, Binder MH (1980) The ecology and behavior of vine snakes (Ahaetulla, Oxybelis, Thelotornis, Uromacer): a review. Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, 38 pp.
- MECN (2010) Serie herpetofauna del Ecuador: El Chocó esmeraldeño. Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales, Quito, 232 pp.
- Guyer C, Donnelly MA (2005) Amphibians and reptiles of La Selva, Costa Rica, and the Caribbean slope. University of California Press, Berkeley, 367 pp.
- Lamar W, Townsend JH, Wilson LD, Cisneros-Heredia DF (2012) Oxybelis brevirostris. The IUCN Red List of threatened species. Available from: www.iucnredlist.org. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T203304A2763541.en
- Zipkin EF, DiRenzo GD, Ray JM, Rossman S, Lips KR (2020) Tropical snake diversity collapses after widespread amphibian loss. Science 367: 814–816. DOI: 10.1126/science.aay5733
- Brown RW (1956) Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C., 882 pp.
Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Oxybelis brevirostris in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used.
| Country | Province | Locality | Source |
| Colombia | Nariño | Barbacoas | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Nariño | Barbacoas, 3 km SW of | MHUA-R 14085; Daza Rojas 2023 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Diviso, 5.5 km SE of | KU 169962; VertNet |
| Colombia | Nariño | El Diviso | UNC 2640 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Vicinity of La Guayacana | LACM 36773; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Las Brisas | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Balzapamba | AMNH 35947; examined |
| Ecuador | Cañar | El Chorro | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Cañar | Manta Real, 2 km E of | Cisneros-Heredia & Touzet 2007 |
| Ecuador | Carchi | San Marcos | Pazmiño-Otamendi 2020 |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Cumandá | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Pallatanga | Boulenger 1896 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Bosque Protegido JDLS | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | La Maná, 6 km NW of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | La Maná, 8.9 km N of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Buenaventura Biological Reserve | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Buenaventura–Platanillo road | Cisneros-Heredia & Touzet 2007 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Cascadas de Manuel | Garzón-Santomaro et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Moromoro | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Zaracay, 7 km NW of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Alto Tambo, 8 km N of | Photo by Charlie Vogt |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Angostura | Morales 2004 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Bilsa Biological Station | Ortega-Andrade et al. 2010 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Bosque Protector La Perla | Plácido Palacios |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Cabeceras de Bilsa | Almendáriz and Carr 2012 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Canandé Biological Reseve | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Carondelet | Morales 2004 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Centro de Fauna Silvestre James Brown | Photo by Salvador Palacios |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Estero Chipa | Vázquez et al. 2005 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | FCAT Reserve | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Gualpi | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Hacienda Equinox | USNM 204154; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Hoja Blanca, 3.5 km W of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Itapoa Reserve | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Jeyambi | Morales 2004 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | La Concepción, 1 km E of | USNM 20617; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | La Concordia, 6 km N of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Lagarto | Pazmiño-Otamendi 2020 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Lita–Alto Tambo road | Cisneros-Heredia & Touzet 2007 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Lita, 5.5 km NW of | RMNH.RENA.51043 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Lote Rosero | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Lote Salvadores | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Lote Ventanas | Yánez-Muñoz 2005 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Majúa, Río Cayapas | Morales 2004 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Naranjal de los Chachis | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Padre Santo | Morales 2004 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Pajonal | Morales 2004 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Playa de Oro | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Ricaurte | Morales 2004 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | San Javier de Cachabí | USNM 192275; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | San Miguel | MCZ R-153145; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Santa Rita | Jadin et al. 2020 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Tangareal | Morales 2004 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Tesoro Escondido Reserve | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Zapallo | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Centro Shuar Tsuer Entsa | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Cerro de Hayas | Cruz García 2017 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Puerto Inca, 5 km E of | Cisneros-Heredia & Touzet 2007 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Río Congo, headwaters of | USNM 192273; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Cielo Verde, 2 km NW of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Cielo Verde, 3 km E of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Paramba | MNHN 1898.301; collection database |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Jauneche | Almendáriz & Carr 2012 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Río Baba | AMNH 110589; examined |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Santa María del Toachi, 6.7 km S of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Valencia, 3 km W of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Valencia, 3.5 km N of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Cerro Pata de Pájaro | Hamilton et al. 2014 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | El Mirador, 6 km SE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Jama-Coaque Ecological Reserve | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Maicito | MHNG 1368.015; collection database |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Pedernales, 6 km SE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Cascada Tatalá | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Kapari Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mangaloma | Photo by Andreas Kay |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mashi Reserve | MZUTI 5820; examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Pedro Vicente Maldonado, 11 km NW of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Puerto Quito | MCZ R-152594; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Unión Bolivarense, 4.3 km W of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Yaku Forest Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Alluriquín, 1 km S of | USNM 192272; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Alluriquín, 7 km W of | MCZ R-145265; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Finca La Esperanza | USNM 192265; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Finca Victoria | MHNG 1069.081; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | La Unión del Toachi | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Patricia Pilar, 14.1 km SE of | MCZ R-156893; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Río Palenque Research Station | USNM 285491; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | MCZ R-154610; VertNet |