Clelia clelia
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Clelia clelia, commonly known as the mussurana, black mussurana or windward cribo, is a species of snake in the subfamily Dipsadinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to the New World. The subspecific name, groomei, is in honor of Grenadian zoologist John R. Groome.
Clelia clelia is called doi or duma in the Kwaza language of Rondônia, Brazil. Clelia clelia is found in Central America, South America, and the Lesser Antilles (including the island of Trinidad). The preferred natural habitat of Clelia clelia is forest at altitudes from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft).
Clelia clelia is a large snake. Adults may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 2.1 m (6.9 ft). Dorsally, adults are uniform black, gray, or olive-gray. Ventrally, adults are yellowish white. Juveniles are pale brown or red, with a black head and a yellow collar.
Clelia clelia is terrestrial. It is primarily nocturnal, but it is also sometimes diurnal. Clelia clelia is a generalized noctural predator with a strong degree of ophiophagy, including venomous snakes of the genera Bothriechis, Bothrops... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 3 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VigoNature | 🇪🇸 Spain |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Mussurana 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 38th 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.
October
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Mussurana in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June and December–March, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Mussurana sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Common Mussurana sightings, Arenal Volcano National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Tambopata National Reserve (Peru, about 10%) and Manu National Park (Peru, about 10%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Common Mussurana 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 Common Mussurana 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.
