top of page

Snakes of Zihuatanejo

SUBORDER​ SERPENTES

Pacific Coast Parrot Snake

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Reptiles (Class Reptilia)

-​Snakes and Lizards (Order Squamata)

-Snakes (Suborder Serpentes)

-Colubrid Snakes (Family Colubridae)

-Colubrine Snakes (Subfamily Colubrinae)

​​-Parrot Snakes (Genus Leptophis)

-Pacific Coast Parrot Snake (Leptophis diplotropis)


Leptophis diplotropis (Pacific Coast Parrot Snake) is a species of snakes in the family colubrid snakes. It is endemic to Mexico. Often seen out during the dayf. These are considered harmless to humans but have enough "mild" venom that a bite is definitely not pleasant. The parrot snake can be found living in a wide range of habitats. It is usually found camouflaged in the trees or the brush of low- and middle-elevation tropical rain forests.

Leptophis diplotropis

Diet

  • Carnivorous, feeding primarily on tree frogs, frogs, lizards (especially anoles and geckos), small birds, bird eggs, and occasionally large insects.

  • Juveniles feed mainly on frogs and small lizards.

  • An active daytime hunter that relies on excellent vision to locate prey among branches and foliage.

Range

  • Endemic to western Mexico, occurring along the Pacific slope from southern Sonora through Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, and into Oaxaca.

  • Common in suitable habitat throughout the Zihuatanejo region.

  • Found from sea level to about 1,700 m (5,600 ft).

Habitat

  • Inhabits tropical dry forests, tropical semi-deciduous forests, gallery forests, thorn scrub, woodland edges, and secondary forests.

  • Highly arboreal, spending most of its life in shrubs, vines, and the lower to middle tree canopy.

  • Frequently found near streams and forest edges but also occurs in gardens and plantations with adequate tree cover.

Size

  • Total length: 100–180 cm (39–71 in)

  • Average adult length: 120–150 cm (47–59 in)

  • Weight: 150–350 g

bottom of page