Pacific Coast parrot snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leptophis diplotropis |
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| Original illustration by G.H. Ford in Günther, 1872 | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Leptophis
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| Species: |
diplotropis
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| Synonyms | |
The Pacific Coast parrot snake, scientifically known as Leptophis diplotropis, is a type of snake. It belongs to a large group of snakes called the Colubridae family. This snake is special because it is endemic to Mexico, meaning it is found naturally only in that country.
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Where Does This Snake Live?
The Pacific Coast parrot snake lives in Mexico. You can find it in the southwestern part of Chihuahua and southern Sonora. Its home range stretches all the way to southeastern Oaxaca.
What Does This Snake Look Like?
This snake is mostly green on its back (this color might fade to blue if the snake is preserved in alcohol). It also has cool black and white stripes. Its belly is white.
Male snakes can grow quite long! They can reach about 90 centimeters (about 35 inches) from their snout to their vent (the opening where waste leaves the body). Their tails can add another 51 centimeters (about 20 inches). Female snakes are a bit smaller. They usually grow to about 73 centimeters (about 29 inches) from snout to vent, with a tail around 37 centimeters (about 14.5 inches).
This snake has about 19 teeth in its upper jaw (maxilla). The two teeth at the very back are much larger than the others.
What Kind of Places Does It Call Home?
The Pacific Coast parrot snake lives in many different types of forests. You can find it in tropical dry forests and semi-deciduous forests (where some trees lose their leaves). It also lives in mangrove forests, oak forests, and wet forests.
These snakes can live from sea level up to about 1,600 meters (about 5,250 feet) high. They are very good at adapting to different places, even areas that have been changed by humans.
How Does This Snake Behave?
The Pacific Coast parrot snake is diurnal, which means it is active during the day. It spends most of its time in trees, moving around in the branches. This is called arboreal behavior.
What Does This Snake Eat?
This snake is a predator, meaning it hunts other animals for food. It mainly eats frogs and lizards. Some of the frogs it preys on include those from the Agalychnis, Lithobates, Smilisca, Tlalocohyla, and Trachycephalus groups. It also enjoys eating lizards from the Phyllodactylus group.
Reproduction
The Pacific Coast parrot snake is oviparous. This means that the female snake lays eggs, and the baby snakes hatch from these eggs.
