Mexican Vine Snake (Oxybelis aeneus)

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The Mexican Vine Snake

The Mexican Vine Snake (Oxybelis aeneus) is also known as the Brown Vine Snake. Although it is mildly venomous, it is not considered dangerous to humans. Because it lives in heavily forested and rainforest areas, it is in danger because of clearing of these forests.

The Mexican Vine Snake is found in the southern tip of Arizona, Mexico, Central America, and South America. It is often found hunting in the treetops where it is often mistaken for a vine by those viewing from below. These snakes will make their homes in fallen trees or underground and have been noted to burrow. Because snakes are cold-blooded and move very slowly when they are cold, the Mexican Vine Snake is inactive in colder weather and is usually only found in the morning and late afternoon when the temperatures are comfortably warm. At night, these snakes have been seen sleeping on top of bushes.

Mexican Vine Snakes are very thin and are usually no bigger around than a pencil. They are excellent at camouflage as, true to their name, they resemble vines or sticks and are able to easily hide in trees. Vine snakes can range in size from 30-60 inches (76-152 cm) with an average length of 36-48 inches (91-122 cm). The scales of the snake are smooth and are arranged in 17 rows. They are brownish gray on the back and lighter on the underside, ranging in color from white at the tail to yellowish-green towards the head. There are often scattered markings of black and dark brown on the back. They have relatively large eyes that actually have round pupils, unlike the vertical slitted pupils of other snake species.

Interesting Fact: Vine snakes have grooved fangs in the back of the mouth that are used to inject venom, unlike most venomous snakes with the typical hollow or retractable fangs in the front.

The primary food source for the Mexican Vine Snake appears to be lizards, which they actively hunt both on the ground and up into the trees. The snake will snag the lizard and stun it by injecting its poisonous venom. If a human is bitten by one of these snakes, however, the reaction is mild and usually only results in a small blister or reddened area and is not fatal. For smaller animals and reptiles, however, this poison results in total paralysis. Vine Snakes will also eat insects, frogs, and sometimes birds and small mammals.

Like most reptiles, the Mexican Vine Snake is an egg layer. These snakes build dens underground to lay their eggs. It seems that they are most actively breeding in late spring and early summer, laying clutches of three to five eggs when the weather is moist and rainy. It takes two to three months for these eggs to hatch.

Did You Know? Mexican Vine Snakes will coil up and open their mouths wide when they are afraid or feel threatened, exposing their rear fangs. They don’t often strike out and bite in defense, though, only using their bite to subdue their prey.

Further Information on the Mexican Vine Snake:

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Bibliography:
NatureServe Explorer. Comprehensive Report Species - Oxybelis aeneus Accessed on 08/21/04 at http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/.
Reptiles of Arizona. Accessed on 08/21/04 at http://www.reptilesofaz.com/Snakes-Subpages/h-o-aeneus.html.
Oxybelis aeneus Accessed on 08/21/04 at http://www.vivanatura.org/Oxybelis%20aeneus.html.
Arizona Game and Fish Department. Heritage Data Management System. Accessed on 08/21/04 at http://www.gf.state.az.us/w_c/edits/documents/Oxybaene.d_001.pdf.