Information on the Green Parrot Snake

The green parrot snake is one of the most common species of the parrot snake family and may be found throughout the Neotropics of South and Central America. Green parrot snakes are active during the daytime and often reside in trees and shrubbery. They are long, slender snakes and will put on an elaborate defensive display when threatened.

Taxonomy and Description

The green parrot snake (Leptophis ahaetulla) is a colubrid, the name that refers to a broad family of nonpoisonous snakes. Over half of all snake species worldwide are members of the colubrid family. Green parrot snakes vary in appearance, but most adults have bright green scales. The belly scales may be light yellow, green or white. Some individuals develop a darker stripe around their bright yellow and black eyes. Adults average between six and eight feet in length.

Habitat and Range

The green parrot snake may be found in a wide range of habitats, from the Amazon rainforest to dry savannas. The snake is also common in the Pantanal wetlands as well as desert-like shrublands and thorny-treed forests in Brazil called Caatinga areas. Green parrot snakes may be found from Southern Mexico south to the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.

Diet and Hunting Methods

The green parrot snakes feed primarily on frogs from the hylidae family. Hylidae tree frogs are the most common frogs found in the Neotropics. Parrot snakes will also feed on small lizards, birds and bird eggs. They are active hunters and will track down their prey during the day. Many of the frogs that they feed on are nocturnal species, so the snake simply has to uncover their resting places during the day for an easy meal. Green parrot snakes, like most nonvenomous snakes, constrict their prey once captured and swallow them whole.

Defensive Displays

When threatened, the green parrot snake will stand its ground, raise its head off the ground and face the threat with a gaping, hissing mouth. If the threat persists, it will flatten its neck and hiss louder and then open its mouth once more. This behavior makes the green parrot snake appear similar to the eye lash pit viper as well as the forest pit viper, two venomous snakes found in the same range. The behavior is one expression of Batesian mimicry, which is characterized by the adoption of appearance or behavior associated with an unpalatable or threatening species as a means of protection.

Interesting Fact

Batesian mimicry appears in nature on multiple levels. Some hawk moths (family Sphingidae) will inflate their abdomen when they sense a predator nearby. Birds are their most common predators. The coloration of the caterpillar when it inflates its body looks similar to the green parrot snake, a snake that often preys on birds. Most would-be predators of the hawk moth will shy away, thinking that the caterpillar is a dangerous predator rather than a juicy meal.

References

• Informaworld: Journal of Natural History: Diet and Feeding Behaviour of the Neotropical Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla) in Northern Brazil
• Reed College: Batesian Copycats and Mullerian Mimics
• "Ecology and Evolution in the Tropics: a Herpetological Perspective"; Maureen Donnelly, et al. (ed); 2005
• Davidson College: Leptophis ahaetulla