Flatbread snake, Oxybelis fulgidus, Green vine snake, Flatbread snake
Oxybelis fulgidus, commonly known as the green vine snake or the flatbread snake (not to be confused with green-colored species in the genus Ahaetulla, which are also referred as "green vine snake"), is a species of long, slender, arboreal colubrid snake, which is endemic to Central America and northern South America.
The Green vine snake is a mildly venomous arboreal colubrid snake native to Central America and northern South America. It is bright green dorsally, and yellowish-green ventrally and on the upper lip. There is a narrow yellowish-white stripe along each side of the belly and tail. The head is aerodynamically shaped and very pointy, and the mouth is very large and extends almost the whole length of the head. The tail is long and very delicate but mostly used to hold on while reaching for prey.
Green vine snakes are found in Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. They live in tropical dry and moist forests and can also be found along sandy beaches.
Green vine snakes are diurnal and spend most of their life high on trees. They are solitary and hunt their prey in a "sit and wait" manner hiding among foliage. When a mouse, lizard, or nest is found on the ground, the snake comes down and follows the prey a short distance, and smells it carefully. If the snake is content with it, it bites into the head and lifts the prey 20-40 cm (8-15.5 in) from the ground. With this, the snake prevents the prey from using its physical strength. The vine snake has two larger upper teeth at the back of its mouth; these teeth permit the toxic saliva to penetrate the wounds and immobilize the prey. Then it is rapidly swallowed. Once the prey is completely in the snake's body, the vine snake searches for a resting place, usually at the highest point of a tree.
Green vine snakes are carnivores and consume lizards, frogs, birds, and sometimes small mammals.
Green vine snakes lay 6-10 eggs that are usually incubated for around 100 days.
There are no major threats to this species at present.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Green vine snake total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
