Imantodes cenchoa
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% 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 |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Blunthead Tree Snake sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 45 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 47 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and July
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Blunthead Tree Snake in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, against about 20% in March–April, June and October–November, the lowest months.
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.
7th of 29
Of the 29 parks where we can rate Blunthead Tree Snake sightings, Tambopata National Reserve ranks 7th at about 30%. The best odds are in Pico Bonito National Park (Honduras, about 50%), 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 Tambopata National Reserve (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Tschudi's False Coral Snake (about 20%), Wucherer's Ground Snake (about 20%) and Royal Ground Snake (about 20%), 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 Tambopata National Reserve (45 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.
