Lora
The Parrot snake (Leptophis ahaetulla) is a medium-sized slender snake, a member of the family Colubridae. It is found only in Central America and northern South America.
Dorsally, the Parrot snake is bright green, golden, or bronzy. The keels of the dorsal scales are black or dark brown. The head shields and the dorsal scales may be edged with black. On each side of the head is a black streak that passes through the eye. The upper lip and the belly are white or yellow. The head is elongated and distinct from the neck. The eye is large with a round pupil. The body is slender, and the tail is long.
In Central America, Parrot snakes are found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, southern Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. In South America, they occur in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Parrot snakes live in lowland and montane moist forests, dry forests, and in areas close to human habitations.
Parrot snakes are solitary and interact with each other only during the mating season. They are active during the daylight hours and at night sleep coiled in vegetation or trees. Parrot snakes are aggressive and when feeling threatened they will raise their body and hiss. They were thought to be non-venomous, but they are mildly venomous. Their bites cause localized pain, swelling, and a feeling of "pins and needles" but these symptoms disappear after a few hours.
Parrot snakes have a carnivorous diet. They prey on small birds and their eggs, lizards, frogs and their eggs, and insects such as grasshoppers. They are also known to show cannibalism and feed on other snakes which is a rare behaviour.
Parrot snakes are oviparous which means that females of this means lay their eggs. They usually lay a clutch of 3-5 eggs and don't provide further parental care. The young are well-developed when they hatch and can survive on their own.
There are no major threats to this species at present.
According to the IUCN Red List, the Parrot snake is locally common throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
