Pliocercus euryzonus
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In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
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 Tenorio Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 27th most-seen of the 38 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and August–September
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Black Halloween Snake in Tenorio Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–June and December–January, 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.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Black Halloween Snake sightings, Tenorio Volcano National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Black Halloween Snake that you can see in Tenorio Volcano National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Cope's Vine Snake (about 40%), Cloudy Snail-eating Snake (about 30%) and Blunthead Tree Snake (about 30%), 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 Tenorio Volcano National Park (8 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.
