| 1 | Wilson’s montane pitviper |
This venomous snake measures 60-80cm, and has a pale white mouth lining, almost like a cottonmouth’s, which they bare at people when trying to terrify them (sometimes succeeding). Cerrophidion wilsoni is closely related to the Costa Rica montane pitviper (Cerrophidion sasai), and is estimated to have diverged 3.1 to 6 million years ago. Somehow, this ancient split went unnoticed until 2012 when genetics finally proved it.
Cerrophidion wilsoni is a high altitude viper, inhabiting various forest types: lower montane dry forest, high montane forest, cloud forest, pine-oak forest. They’re relatively flexible, and can easily slither across deforested or naturally open areas close by. This viper rarely climbs trees, and has a haemotoxic venom which is specialised against mammals. Despite this, they also eat reptiles like giant whiptail lizards (Aspidoscelis motaguae).
Wilson’s montane pitviper can reach altitudes of 3491 metres, rarely appearing below 1400 metres. They’re confined to Honduras and El Salvador, but the highlands of western Honduras also cross into eastern Guatemala, and scientists believe that it’s only a matter of time until they’re found there as well.
| 2 | Mexican cantil |
The copperhead and cottonmouth might have their hands full terrifying Americans today, but millions of years ago, a group travelled southwards and transformed into a far blacker version, with thin white stripes. This is the Mexican cantil (Agkistrodon bilineatus), which belongs to the same family. This version is just as muscular and bulky as the copperhead, and averages at 60cm.
Like the cottonmouth, legends speak of a vicious, murderous personality, but this isn’t proven. They may be calmer than reputed, but their venom is a proven horror show. Mexican cantils have almost no neurotoxic powers, but cause massive damage to skin tissue, destroying so much flesh that white bone is exposed and victims require amputation. A 1983 study even mentioned “spontaneous amputation”, damage so severe that body parts automatically dropped off.
The Mexican cantil empire begins in central Mexico, spreading through Guatemala, El Salvador, and reaching Nicaragua before fizzling out. In Costa Rica, they’re replaced with Gloyd’s moccassin (Agkistrodon howardgloydi). Their habitats include drier thorn and decidous forests, rather than thick rainforests.
| 3 | Neotropical whipsnake |
A very widespread snake, found from Mexico to eastern Panama. This is one of El Salvador’s longest snakes, reaching 252cm in the most gigantic individuals.
The neotropical whipsnake (Masticophis mentovarius) is a lowland species, which dislikes dense jungles. They stick to open areas such as savannahs or thickets, near areas of dry forests or premontane moist forests. Rather than foggy mountains, they stick to elevations of 0-450 metres, occasionally straying to 1000m.
Masticophis mentovarius is mostly a ground-dwelling snake, and a fast moving one at that. Their diet includes lizards such as silky anoles and fellow snakes such as road guarders (Conophis lineatus). The neotropical whipsnake chews the head of its prey, continuing for minutes while a mild venom gradually soaks in. Once the snake or lizard stops thrashing, they commence swallowing, which can take 15 minutes for fellow snakes. Masticophis mentovarius tend not to react to human presence, even if in the middle of eating. Neotropical whipsnakes range from grey to light brown, with faint black lines, while their pupils are round with a bronze iris.
| 4 | Small-spotted cat-eyed snake |
This snake was originally a subspecies of the northern cat-eyed snake, but broken off into its own species: Leptodeira polysticta. It ranges from southern Mexico through to Honduras, and inhabits multiple forest types, including lowland rainforests, pine-oak forests and evergreen forests. They vary from light grey to orange, and rather than several huge blotches like a boa constrictor, they have a splattering of much smaller blotches. They have strongly vertical pupils, and the colour of their eyes always matches their body: grey or orange.
Small-spotted cat-eyed snakes are feared by El Salvador’s local frogs. The likes of common Mexican tree frogs will start making panicking distress calls to alert their fellows, and inflate their body as a defensive measure when Leptodeira polysticta draws near. Their list of confirmed frog prey is huge: hourglass treefrogs, red-eyed treefrogs, Morelet’s tree frog, gulf coast toad, etc. They also eat snakes such as the red coffee snake (Ninia sebae). Small-spotted cat-eyed snakes reach elevations of 2200 metres and sometimes appear in roofs of rural houses along dirt roads.
| 5 | Forest flame snake |
A 80-100cm snake found across central America, through to Brazil. Forest flame snakes (Oxyrhopus petolarius) are excellent at skirting across branches, and appear in rainforests, cloud forests, gallery forests along riverbanks, and logging roads between forests. They have red and black bands as adults, but as juveniles, the red areas can be white instead.
The Latin name explains all you need to know about this snake. Oxybelis contains the Greek words oxys for “quick”, and rhops for “bush”, likely for its tendency to flee rapidly into bushes when spooked. Petolarius references the Japanese deity petola, who had a pretty, colourful cloak, and hid in remote, inaccessible parts of forests when persecuted.
Forest flame snakes vary their hunting methods by prey size. They swallow smaller lizards whole without thinking, but with larger reptiles, they’ll be cautious and chew in a mild venom. This venom has little effect in humans as it is specially attuned towards cold-blooded reptiles. Dinner items include forest whiptails (Kentropyx pelviceps), yellow-tongued anoles and slender prionodactylus, and birds such blue-black grassquits.
| 6 | Mexican parrot snake |
The Mexican parrot snake reaches lengths of 131cm, and stretches from eastern Mexico to northwest Costa Rica. They’re another excellent tree climber, which use their light weight to skirt along fragile branches with ease. Mexican parrot snakes (Leptophis mexicanus) normally stick to mid-height vegetation rather than towering treetops. Forests are optimal, but they also inhabit smaller clumps of trees next to villages or scientific research stations.
Leptophis mexicanus is closely related to the giant parrot snake (Leptophis ahaetulla), and shares their bulging bronze eyes. This version can be separated by one easy ID feature: a large bronze stripe down their back. Their bodies have less green overall than giant parrot snakes, their bellies are a cleaner white colour (no green leaking in), and they have a stronger black stripe running through their eye.
Mexican parrot snakes feast on tree frogs, and reptiles such as Utila spiny-tailed iguanas and bighead anoles. They forage actively, watching branches keenly for the flicker of movement that reveals a lizard attempting to disguise itself. They sometimes grab concealed lizards from hollows between tree roots.
| 7 | Rhombic cat-eyed snake |
This species lives in 6 out of 7 central American countries, the exception being Belize. The rhombic cat-eyed snake is an anuran (frogs and toads) specialist. When frogs gather together en masse during breeding season, this is a dream come true for them, and they can swallow 30-40 frogs in a single evening, occasionally feasting on their eggs. They also eat catfish, which they seize on the banks of small forest streams, and drag them to dry land to swallow. Leptodeira rhombifer patiently locates the head, before swallowing whole.
Leptodeira rhombifer varies in appearance. Some have sharply alternating black and fiery orange bands, while others have a mildly orange base with dark brown blotches on top. The dark blotches can also fuse to form zigzags. As a hatchling, this El Salvador snake has a white neck collar, but this fades with age.
This is a short-lived snake (like other Leptodeira members) which rarely exceeds 10 years old even in captivity. One captive snake developed cataracts with age, making its lunges for frogs clumsy and inaccurate.
| 8 | Central American tree snake |
A lesser known relative of the blunt-headed tree snake. The central America tree snake (Imantodes gemmistratus) shares the extremely large head and bulging eyes, and a neck barely thicker than a garden twig. They not only live on delicate branches, but hunt on them. Their diet consists of Anolis lizards, and after identifying the reptile waiting silently on a branch, they extend their thin body over the gaps between, balanced precariously, and seize them with their jaws. If a Burmese python tried this move, the entire tree would probably snap.
Central American tree snakes are mildly venomous constrictors, which reach a maximum of 93cm. Their empire stretches from central Mexico to northwest Colombia, with El Salvador roughly in the centre. The two relatives are difficult to distinguish, but Central American tree snakes have a higher number of bands, which are also thinner. Imantodes gemmistratus also strays to more open areas, and prefers drier, deciduous forests on Pacific slopes. Blunted tree snakes stick to lowland rainforests, and the densest, stickiest ones to boot.
| 9 | Boa imperator |
Boa imperator is El Salvador’s longest snake, reaching 3.7 metres. It was only “discovered” in 2016, yet is one of the best researched snakes in the world. This is because it was originally a subspecies of the boa constrictor, until DNA analysis proved it to be a full species after all, with a genetic divergence of 5-7%. From then on, all central American boa constrictors were switched to Boa imperator.
This version is lighter overall, but with a darker tail. The messy blotches are similar, and they’re just as long-lived, reaching 40 years in captivity. Boa imperators share the constricting nature, and ability to live in endless habitats, such as forests, grasslands, villages, and savannahs. Boa imperator replaces its cousin in Columbia west of the Andes, before inhabiting all 7 countries of central America and finally finishing in southern Mexico.
When the species were split, all food records central America were transferred to Boa imperator. Consequently, the amount of confirmed prey for this snake is already gigantic. Mammals are favourite, with hefty helpings of frogs and birds. The list continues to grow, such as in 2022, when a boa imperator was recorded eating a Yucatan squirrel.
| 10 | Tiger ratsnake |
A harmless yet extremely long snake which reaches 2.7 metres, and climbs branches with ease. Tiger ratsnakes are extremely easy to recognise. Their body features just two vividly contrasting colours: neon yellow and night-time black. The yellow comes in vague stripes, but there’s also yellow scales dotted around as if by random.
Tiger ratsnakes are strongly muscled and can poke their upper bodies leagues beyond the branch supporting them, floating in thin air. Branches are easily their main hangout, 2nd is by a thick tree trunk preparing to climb, while 3rd is in the roofs of village houses searching for bats.
Tiger ratsnakes are relatively uncommon in dense rainforests. They prefer forested areas interspersed with clearings, which commonly brings them into contact with people. Tiger ratsnakes have an unfussy diet, focussing on mammals, but also reptiles, birds, and bird eggs. They may be too unfussy, as one Spilotes pullatus was observed swallowing an adult Mexican tree porcupine, before dying when its spines pierced its body. This is one of the most successful snakes in the world, with a vast range stretching from Mexico to the heart of South America.