Pliocercus euryzonus
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In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Pliocercus euryzonus, commonly known as Cope's false coral snake, is a species of snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The species is indigenous to southeastern Central America and northwestern South America. There are two recognized subspecies.
P. euryzonus is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The Reptile Database also lists Guatemala and Peru. The preferred natural habitat of P. euryzonus is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 1,460 m (4,790 ft).
P. euryzonus is oviparous. Including the nominotypical subspecies, two subspecies are recognized as being valid. Pliocercus euryzonus burghardti H.M. Smith & Chiszar, 1996 Pliocercus euryzonus euryzonus Cope, 1862 The subspecific name, burghardti, is in honor of herpetologist Gordon M. Burghardt.
Cope ED (1862). "Synopsis of the Species of Holcosus and Ameiva, with Diagnoses of new West Indian and South American Colubridæ". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia [14]: 60–81. (Pliocercus euryzonus, new species, pp. 72–73).
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black Halloween Snake sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 41st most-seen of the 64 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September to November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black Halloween Snake in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–August and December–February, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Halloween Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Black Halloween Snake sightings, Arenal Volcano National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%) and Tenorio Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Black Halloween Snake that you can see in Arenal Volcano National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Ornate Cat-eyed Snake (about 30%), Cloudy Snail-eating Snake (about 20%) and Blunthead Tree Snake (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Halloween Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Arenal Volcano National Park (15 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
