Imantodes cenchoa
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
Imantodes cenchoa, also known commonly as the blunthead tree snake, the neotropical blunt-headed tree snake, and the fiddle-string snake, is a species of mildly venomous, rear-fanged snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to Mexico, Central America, and South America.
The blunthead tree snake averages about 800 mm (31 in) in total length (including tail). Maximum total length is about 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in). I. cenchoa is known for its long, slender body and very large head. The pupil of its eye is very distinct from other snakes. Most snakes found around the world are known to have very poor vision and rely mostly on smell and vibrations to detect signs of prey and predators. Arboreal snakes have much better vision than other snakes. The blunthead tree snake has a vertical slit for a pupil which allows the snake to look downward. This trait gives the blunthead tree snake an advantage over other snakes. The large eyes make up approximately 26% of its head.
The ventral surface, or stomach, of the blunthead tree snake is mostly white, while the dorsal surface, or top, is a light or pale brown with lateral dark brown patches that begin at the head and continue... Wikipedia →
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yumka' | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Blunthead Tree Snake sighting in Pico Bonito National Park on a given day, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 21 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May, July, September and November
In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Blunthead Tree Snake in Pico Bonito National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, the lowest month.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Blunthead Tree Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 29 parks where we can rate Blunthead Tree Snake sightings, Pico Bonito National Park has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Cusuco National Park (Honduras, about 40%) and Tortuguero National Park (Costa Rica, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Blunthead Tree Snake that you can see in Pico Bonito National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Red Coffee Snake (about 40%), Northern Cat-eyed Snake (about 40%) and Yellowbelly Snake (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Blunthead Tree Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Pico Bonito National Park (29 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.
