Stenorrhina degenhardtii
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Stenorrhina degenhardtii, also known by its common name Degenhardt's scorpion-eating snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to southeastern Mexico, Central America, and northwestern South America. There are three recognized subspecies.
The specific name, degenhardtii, is in honor of a German named Degenhardt who collected amphibians and reptiles in northern South America in the 1840s. S. degenhardtii is found in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Veracruz; in the Central American countries of Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama; and in the South American countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
The preferred natural habitats of S. degenhardti are forest and savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 2,800 m (9,200 ft), but it has also been found in agricultural areas. A medium-sized snake, S. degenhardtii may attain a total length (including tail) of 65 cm (26 in).
S. degenhardtii is diurnal and terrestrial. S. degenhardtii preys predominately upon scorpions and spiders, but also eats crickets, grasshoppers... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Degenhardt's Scorpion-eating Snake sighting in Tenorio Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 37th most-seen of the 38 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Degenhardt's Scorpion-eating Snake in Tenorio Volcano National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–April and July–November, the lowest months. That is one of Tenorio Volcano National Park's wettest months, with about 420 mm of rain against 120 mm in April.
Between 4 and 7 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Degenhardt's Scorpion-eating Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Degenhardt's Scorpion-eating Snake sightings, Tenorio Volcano National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Arenal Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 10%) and La Amistad International Park (Panama) (Panama, under 5%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Degenhardt's Scorpion-eating 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 Degenhardt's Scorpion-eating Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Tenorio Volcano National Park (6 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.
