Black-tailed Cribo
Drymarchon melanurus • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Drymarchon, Species: melanurus
Distributed from the extreme Rio Grande Valley in Texas, USA, southward through the Gulf Coast and Pacific lowlands of Mexico, across Central America, and into northwestern South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).
Look up Black-tailed Cribo in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Drymarchon, Species: melanurus
Conservation
IUCN Least Concern. Threats include habitat destruction, road mortality, and persecution by humans who mistake them for other species.
Physical Description
A large, robust-bodied snake with smooth, glossy scales. Generally light brown or olive-tan on the anterior half of the body, transitioning to solid black toward the tail. Diagnostic features include black vertical markings on the labial (lip) scales and a dark 'smudge' or diagonal line behind the eye. Scales are large and iridescent.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen in the image appears to be an adult approximately 1.5 to 2 meters long. Species average is 1.8 to 2.4 meters (6-8 feet), with maximum lengths reaching nearly 3 meters.
Habitat
Inhabits a wide variety of environments including tropical rainforests, seasonally dry forests, coastal scrublands, and agricultural areas. It is found from sea level up to approximately 1,900 meters and is primarily terrestrial but comfortable in water.
Diet & Feeding
An opportunistic generalist predator. It feeds on rodents, birds, lizards, frogs, and other snakes (including pit vipers). They do not constrict; they seize prey and overpower it with strong jaws, often swallowing it alive.
Reproduction
Oviparous (egg-laying). Females lay clutches of 4 to 15 large eggs, usually in the late winter or early spring. Large hatchlings emerge after an incubation period of about 60-90 days.
Conservation Status
IUCN Least Concern. Threats include habitat destruction, road mortality, and persecution by humans who mistake them for other species.
Cultural Significance
Ecologically vital as an apex predator that controls rodent populations and keeps other snake populations in check. In some regions, they are respected by farmers for their habit of eating 'Fer-de-Lance' vipers.
Notable Features
Remarkable for hunting local pit vipers. They display high intelligence and curiosity compared to many other snakes.