Interesting and Common: The blunt-headed tree snake

The blunt-headed tree snake, Imantodes cenchoa, is occasionally found coiled quietly in an orchid or bromeliad during the hours of daylight. But after darkness has fallen, this pencil-thin, 3-foot-long rear-fanged snake uncoils, and slowly and quietly, but actively, joins the ranks of nocturnal predators.

Its slender build -- proportionately as slender as many of the vine snakes -- enables the blunt-head to access and forage through the slenderest of twigs, sites often preferred by sleeping anoles and geckos, both favored prey of this common opisthoglyphid (rear-fanged) snake species.

Most of our sightings of this interesting little snake have occurred in the Peruvian Amazon. Here, in this snake's stronghold, we have rarely not seen at least one on our nocturnal herping walks and have on some of the best nights seen up to ten of the bug-eyed, brown saddled arborealists. They never fail to evoke positive comments from the viewers.

More photos under the jump...

During the hours of daylight this snake may occasionally be found sleeping behind vines or epiphytic plants: Extreme slenderness allows this snake to forage for its lizard prey amongst the thinnest of twigs:

Author, photographer, and columnist Richard Bartlett is one of the most prolific writers on herpetological subjects in the 20th century. With hundreds of books and articles to their credit, Richard and his wife Pat have spent over four decades documenting reptiles both in the field and in captivity. For a list of their current titles, please visit their page in our bookstore.