Drymobius margaritiferus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
Drymobius margaritiferus, commonly known as the speckled racer, is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake native to the Americas. The specific name, margaritiferus, means "pearl-bearing" in Latin, referring to the pearl-like spots on the dorsal scales.
This species ranges throughout Central America from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and Yucatán Peninsula, southward to Panama and adjacent areas of northwest Colombia, occurring at elevations from sea level up to 4,750 feet (1,453 m). Northward, it is found in the coastal lowlands and lower exterior slopes of the Sierra Madres of Mexico, up the west coast to Sonora, and up the east coast to northern Tamaulipas. The northern limit of its distribution ranges into extreme south Texas, USA, where it is uncommon to rare in a few of the southernmost counties of the state.
Speckled racers occur in a wide variety of habitats, including: forest, forest edges and clearings, secondary growth, riparian zones, savannahs, marshlands, pastures, and roadsides. It is often said to favor humid and wet areas with permanent water sources. However, these snakes have been found in areas where no water was apparent, and habitats... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 6 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Speckled Racer sighting in San Pedro Sula on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 15th most-seen of the 18 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Speckled Racer in San Pedro Sula on a given day, against under 5% in November to June, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Speckled Racer sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only San Pedro Sula, in our data
San Pedro Sula is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Speckled Racer sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Speckled Racer that you can see in San Pedro Sula (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Pacific Longtail Snake (about 30%), Rhombic Cat-eyed Snake (about 20%) and Black-striped Snake (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Speckled Racer is recorded against all the reptiles logged in San Pedro Sula (5 verified sightings), 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.
