The Blunthead Tree Snake is a species of colubrid snake that is native to parts of Central and South America.
This species is mildly venomous but the snake’s fangs are located in the back of its mouth meaning it has a poor delivery system. These types of snakes are known as rear-fanged venomous snakes.
This snake is sometimes referred to as the Fiddle String Snake but is more commonly known as the Blunthead.
Blunthead Tree Snake Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Blunthead Tree Snake belongs to the Colubridae or Colubrid family of snakes. This is the largest family of Snakes in the world consisting of many popular species such as Pine Snakes and Milk Snakes.
With around 250 different genera of Colubrids, these snakes can be found on every continent except Antarctica which also makes them the most widely distributed family of snake in the world.
The vast majority of Colubrid snakes are non-venomous, or at least contain a venom that isn’t considered to be medically significant to humans.
However, there are a number of species of Colubrid snakes that contain venom capable of killing humans. This includes species from the Boiga and Rhabdophis genera as well as other snakes such as the Boomslang.
Genus
The genus that the Blunthead Tree Snake belongs to is called Imantodes and all of the species in this genus are commonly referred to as Tree Snakes or Vine Snake.
There are currently 8 recognised species in this genus and a number of different sub-species are also recognised.
The snakes in this genus are all native to Mexico, Central America and parts of South America.
Species
The scientific name for the Blunthead Tree Snake is Imantodes cenchoa and there are currently no recognised sub-species.
The species was first described in 1758 by a Swedish taxonomist named Carl Linnaeus.
Linnaeus is credited for formalising binomial nomenclature which is the modern system of naming organisms.
He has described a large number of reptiles including the Yellow Footed Tortoise, the Common Slow Worm, the Green Ameiva, the Eastern Copperhead, the Mediterranean House Gecko, the Northern Water Snake and the Banded Water Snake.
He also described the Ringneck Snake, the Rainbow Lizard, the Greek Tortoise, the Surinam Horned Frog, the Desert Horned Viper and the Nile Monitor.
Blunthead Tree Snake Description
The Blunthead Three Snake can grow to over one metre in length. However, they are a very slim snake which makes them appear a lot smaller.
While they have a very slim body and even thinner neck, their head is disproportionately larger, which is where they get the name Blunthead.
They have very large ‘bug eyes’ which cover a large portion of their head and protrude outwards and have vertical pupils.
They are typically light brown in color with reddish brown blotches all over their body while the belly of the snake is typically white.
Females can have larger heads than males, while the males can often have longer tails. However, this can vary so can’t accurately be used to determine gender.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Blunthead Tree Snake has a very large geographical distribution with their range extending from Mexico to the Southern parts of Brazil.
In Mexico, they can be found from the Tamaulipas region on the Gulf Coast with their range running through South-Eastern Mexico.
They can be found throughout most of Central America in places such as Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
In South America, the Blunthead Tree Snake can be found throughout most of the Northern half of the Continent.
Their range extends as far South as the Southern parts of Brazil extending through countries such as Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela.
The Blunthead Tree Snake likes to live in forested areas with plenty of canopy cover. They can also be found on plantations.
They have also taken advantage of human habitation where food is plentiful and can be found on plantation lands.
They are also known to live in moist lowland forests and in the rainforests of Central and South America.
Blunthead Tree Snake Behaviour
The Blunthead Tree Snake is a nocturnal species meaning they are primarily active during the night and sleep during the day.
This species is highly arboreal and likes to spend a lot of its time off the ground in trees, bushes and other vegetation.
When the Blunthead Tree Snake is found on the ground, it is usually hiding under leaf litter or other debris as they much prefer shaded, secluded areas.
While this snake is arboreal, they like to stay relatively close to the ground and are usually found only a couple of feet from the ground.