Imantodes cenchoa
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% 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 40% of wildlife watchers report a Blunthead Tree Snake sighting in Tortuguero National Park on a given day, based on 72 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 34 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Blunthead Tree Snake in Tortuguero National Park on a given day, against about 10% in July, the lowest month. That is one of Tortuguero National Park's wettest months, with about 530 mm of rain against 160 mm in March.
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.
3rd of 29
Of the 29 parks where we can rate Blunthead Tree Snake sightings, Tortuguero National Park ranks 3rd at about 40%. The best odds are in Pico Bonito National Park (Honduras, about 50%) and Cusuco National Park (Honduras, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Blunthead Tree Snake that you can see in Tortuguero National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Green Vine Snake (about 30%), Cloudy Snail-eating Snake (about 20%) and Cope's Parrot Snake (about 10%), 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 Tortuguero National Park (72 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.
