About Oxybelis fulgidus (Daudin, 1803)
Oxybelis fulgidus, commonly known as the green vine snake, is a very slender species of snake. Adults are typically around 2 cm (0.79 in) thick, and reach a total length of approximately 1.5–2 m (59–79 in). This species has a long, very delicate tail, which is most often used to anchor the snake while it reaches for prey. The head is aerodynamically shaped and very pointed, with a very large mouth that extends almost the entire length of the head. The tongue is long and green; when active, it is held outside the mouth and moved up and down. This tongue behavior is also seen in other vine snake species. It is thought that these snakes use their tongues as sensory guides, similar to how cats use their whiskers, as they move quickly through branches and brush. Dorsally, Oxybelis fulgidus is bright green, while the ventral surface and upper lip are yellowish green. A narrow yellowish-white stripe runs along each side of the belly and tail. The snout is very prominent, and is roughly three times as long as the diameter of the eye. This species lacks a loreal scale, and the prefrontal scale contacts 2 or 3 upper labial scales. There are 9–10 upper labials, with the 4th, 5th, and 6th (or 5th, 6th, and 7th) reaching the eye. Temporal scales are very large, arranged as 1 + 2. Dorsal scales are weakly keeled, and arranged in 17 rows at midbody. There are 198–217 ventral scales; the anal plate is divided; and the 139–165 subcaudal scales are also divided. Oxybelis fulgidus is found on mainland Latin America, with confirmed occurrence in Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
