Monte Cristi Graceful Brown Snake
Species Data
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
Scientific Name: Rhadinella montecristi
IUCN Red List status: Vulnerable
Description
The Monte Cristi Graceful Brown Snake is a small, non-venomous snake native to Central America, primarily found in southeast Guatemala and southwest Honduras. With its slender body measuring between 30 and 40 cm in length, its light brown scales are patterned with subtle stripes that help it camouflage into its home on the forest floor. A diurnal species, its wide head and rounded pupils give it sharp vision that is perfectly suited for the bright light of daytime activity.
Behaviour
The Monte Cristi Graceful Brown Snake is an adaptable hunter, preying on invertebrates like insect and earthworms as well as small amphibians and other soft prey that may cross its path. It is considered a secretive, ground-dwelling species, with females laying a clutch of eggs that fend for themselves upon hatching.
Habitat
The snake inhabits montane cloud forests of elevations ranging from 1,300 to 2,620 m above sea level. The humid environments and dense vegetation provide abundant coverage for hunting and foraging. It is found in fragmented populations within Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador in the remaining patches of its cloud forest habitat.
Threats and Conservation
The ICUN classifies the Monte Cristi Graceful Brown Snake as Vulnerable due to the deforestation and fragmentation of its cloud forest habitat therefore, preservation of the cloud forests is essential to the species’ ability to thrive.
