Published May 5, 2021. Updated March 6, 2024. Open access. | Purchase book ❯ |
Green Whipsnake (Chironius exoletus)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Serpentes | Colubridae | Chironius exoletus
English common names: Green Whipsnake, Linnaeus’ Sipo, Green Sipo, Green Keelback.
Spanish common name: Serpiente látigo verde, juetiadora, lora.
Recognition: ♂♂ 153.1 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=97.3 cm. ♀♀ 154.5 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=100 cm..1 Chironius exoletus can be identified by having 12 rows of dorsal scales at mid-body and a uniform bright green to olive dorsal coloration (Fig. 1).1,2 Juveniles of C. exoletus differ from those of C. flavopictus by having a yellowish cream, instead of bright orange, coloration along the lower flanks. The highland species C. monticola also has a bright green dorsum but it has contrasting black stripes on the tail.1 Chironius exoletus is often confused with C. multiventris, a darker snake that has more ventral scales (161–196 versus 123–162)1 and a proportionally longer tail.3 This species differs from snakes of the genus Erythrolamprus, Dendrophidion, Drymoluber, and Leptophis by having a lower number of dorsal scale rows.4,5
Figure 1: Individuals of Chironius exoletus from Ecuador: Jatun Sacha Biological Reserve, Napo province (); Mindo, Pichincha province (); Cerro de Hayas, Guayas province (). j=juvenile.
Natural history: Chironius exoletus is a diurnal and semi-arboreal snake most active during sunny weather. The species inhabits evergreen lowland and foothill forests as well as pastures, crops, and even buildings.5,6 In Brazil, the species also occurs in flooded plains and dry forest.7,8 At night, individuals sleep coiled on branches of bushes and trees 0.3–8 m above the ground, usually along bodies of water or at the edge of open areas such as roads and pastures.1,3,5 On sunny days, Green Whipsnakes actively forage on the ground or on low vegetation.1 Their diet is composed primarily of frogs (including Boana appendiculata,9 B. calcarata,10 B. lanciformis,1 B. punctata,1 Dendropsophus bifurcus,1 D. marmoratus,1 Osteocephalus taurinus,11 Phyllomedusa tomopterna,12 Scinax garbei,1 S. ruber,1 Smilisca phaeota,13 Lithobates palmipes)1 but also includes salamanders (Bolitoglossa altamazonica),1 tadpoles,8 lizards (including Hemidactylus mabouia, Thecadactylus rapicauda, and anoles),12 and birds.1 In Brazil, a specimen was seen feeding on a toxic frog of the genus Trachycephalus.14 There are records of snakes (Clelia equatoriana) preying upon individuals of C. exoletus.5 When cornered, whipsnakes tend to inflate the neck, open the mouth aggressively, and strike.1,5 However, this snake has no venom glands and is harmless to humans.5 Courtship and mating in C. exoletus consists of tactile alignment, meddling, and copulation that can last 27 minutes.15 The clutch size consists of 4–12 eggs.2
Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances..16–18 Chironius exoletus is included in this category because the species is widely distributed, occurs in over a hundred protected areas, and persists in human-modified habitats.16,19 Although there is no current information on the population trend of the species, the decline in the number of anuran prey due to pollution and emerging diseases could have a negative localized impact.20
Distribution: Chironius exoletus is distributed over an area of approximately 2,983,076 km2 throughout Central and South America, from Costa Rica to western Ecuador (Fig. 2), and east of the Andes to Argentina.
Figure 2: Distribution of Chironius exoletus in Ecuador. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.
Etymology: The name Chironius was coined by Leopold Fitzinger in 1826, but likely originated in 1790 with Blasius Merrem, who used the common name “Chiron’s Natter” for Linnaeus’ Coluber carinatus.21 In Greek mythology, Chiron was a centaur reputed for his healing abilities. Likewise, in ancient Greek civilization, sick people hoping for a cure flocked to temples where sacred snakes were carefully tended and presented to the sufferers. Therefore, Chironius likely refers to the healing power of snakes, a belief that lies at the foundation of medicine and crosses many cultures worldwide. The specific epithet exoletus is a Latin word meaning “fully grown” or “mature.”22 It probably refers to the holotype, a large adult specimen.1
See it in the wild: Green Whipsnakes can be seen at a rate of about once every few weeks in forested areas throughout their area of distribution in Ecuador. The area having the greatest number of observations is Mindo, a valley and town in Pichincha province. The snakes can be spotted sleeping on vegetation along rivers at night, or moving on pastures during sunny days.
Acknowledgments: Special thanks to Eric Osterman for finding two of the specimens of Chironius exoletus pictured in this account.
Special thanks to Jenny Seymour for symbolically adopting the Green Whipsnake and helping bring the Reptiles of Ecuador book project to life.
Click here to adopt a species.
Authors: Jose VieiraaAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,bAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador. and Alejandro ArteagacAffiliation: Fundación Khamai, Reserva Arlequín, Ecoruta Paseo del Quinde km 56, Santa Rosa de Mindo, Pichincha 171202, Ecuador.
Photographers: Jose VieiraaAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,bAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador. and Frank PichardoaAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.
How to cite? Vieira J, Arteaga A (2024) Green Whipsnake (Chironius exoletus). In: Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Vieira J (Eds) Reptiles of Ecuador: Life in the middle of the world. Available from: www.reptilesofecuador.com. DOI: 10.47051/IJPD8457
Literature cited:
- Dixon JR, Wiest Jr JA, Cei JM (1993) Revision of the Neotropical snake genus Chironius Fitzinger (Serpentes, Colubridae). Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali di Torino, Torino, 280 pp.
- Savage JM (2002) The amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica, a herpetofauna between two continents, between two seas. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 934 pp.
- Duellman WE (1978) The biology of an equatorial herpetofauna in Amazonian Ecuador. Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 65: 1–352.
- Peters JA, Donoso-Barros B (1970) Catalogue of Neotropical Squamata: part I, snakes. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, Washington, D.C., 347 pp.
- Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Guayasamin JM (2013) The amphibians and reptiles of Mindo. Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Quito, 257 pp.
- Photo by Nereida Guerra.
- Marques R, Tinôco MS, Couto-Ferreira D, Fazolato CP, Browne-Ribeiro HC, Travassos MLO, Dias MA, Mota JVL (2011) Reserva Imbassaí Restinga: inventory of snakes on the Northern coast of Bahia, Brazil. Journal of Threatened Taxa 3: 2184–2191. DOI: 10.11609/JoTT.o2812.2184-91
- Marques R, Mebert K, Fonseca E, Rodder D, Sole M, Tinoco MS (2016) Composition and natural history notes of the coastal snake assemblage from Northern Bahia, Brazil. Zookeys: 93–142. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.611.9529
- Photo by Luciano Amaral Breves.
- Photo by Jesus Ramos.
- Photo by Phan Lặng Yên.
- Roberto IJ, Ramos Souza A (2020) Review of prey items recorded for snakes of the genus Chironius (Squamata, Colubridae), including the first record of Osteocephalus as prey. Herpetology Notes 13: 1–5.
- Photo by Juan Carlos Narváez.
- Guimaraes M (2008) Chironius exoletus (Common Whipsnake). Prey and possible diet convergence. Herpetological Bulletin 105: 41–42.
- Gusmão AC, Casagrande LP, Silva AM, Crispin MA, Fereira-García JR, Souza MR, Suzeck E, Bernarde PS (2011) Chironius exoletus (Vine Snake). Reproductive behavior. Herpetological Review 42: 248.
- Acosta Chaves V, Arzamendia V, Ballesteros E, Batista A, Bolívar W, Fitzgerald L, García Rodríguez A, Giraudo A, Gutiérrez-Cárdenas P, Kacoliris F, Montero R, Pelegrin N, Saborío G, Scrocchi G, Vargas Álvarez J, Velasco J, Williams J, Nogueira CdC, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Hoogmoed MS, Schargel W, Rivas G (2019) Chironius exoletus. The IUCN Red List of threatened species. Available from: www.iucnredlist.org. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T203279A2762756.en
- Carrillo E, Aldás A, Altamirano M, Ayala F, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Endara A, Márquez C, Morales M, Nogales F, Salvador P, Torres ML, Valencia J, Villamarín F, Yánez-Muñoz M, Zárate P (2005) Lista roja de los reptiles del Ecuador. Fundación Novum Millenium, Quito, 46 pp.
- Reyes-Puig C (2015) Un método integrativo para evaluar el estado de conservación de las especies y su aplicación a los reptiles del Ecuador. MSc thesis, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, 73 pp.
- Avila-Pires TCS, Alves-Silva KR, Barbosa L, Correa FS, Cosenza JFA, Costa-Rodrigues APV, Cronemberger AA, Hoogmoed MS, Lima-Filho GR, Maciel AO, Missassi AFR, Nascimento LRS, Nunes ALS, Oliveira LS, Palheta GS, Pereira Jr AJS, Pinheiro L, Santos-Costa MC, Pinho SRC, Silva FM, Silva MB, Sturaro MJ (2018) Changes in amphibian and reptile diversity over time in Parque Estadual do Utinga, Pará State, Brazil, a protected area surrounded by urbanization. Herpetology Notes 11: 499–512.
- Zipkin EF, DiRenzo GD, Ray JM, Rossman S, Lips KR (2020) Tropical snake diversity collapses after widespread amphibian loss. Science 367: 814–816.
- Merrem B (1790) Beitrage zur Naturgeschichte. Duisburg um Lemgo, Berlin, 141 pp.
- Brown RW (1956) Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C., 882 pp.
Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Chironius exoletus in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used.
| Country | Province | Locality | Source |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Caserío Los Ángeles | SINCHI 936 |
| Colombia | Caquetá | Florencia | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Colombia | Huila | San Adolfo, 4 km S of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Nariño | La Guayacana | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Llorente | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Ricaurte | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Zapotal | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Azuay–El Oro limit | Juan Carlos Sánchez, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Chilcaplaya | MZUA.RE.0060; examined |
| Ecuador | Cañar | Hidroeléctrica Ocaña | Juan Carlos Sánchez, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Carchi | Chical–Imbabura | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Carchi | Chinambí | Photo by Andreas Kay |
| Ecuador | Carchi | Tobar Donoso | Samec & Samec 1988 |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Bucay | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Pallatanga | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Valle del Chanchán | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | El Jardín de los Sueños | Photo by Christophe Pellet |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | La Unión del Toachi, 7 km S of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Macuchi | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Reserva Yakusinchi | Photo by Jane Sloan |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Bilsa Biological Reserve | Ortega-Andrade et al. 2010 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Centro de Fauna Silvestre James Brown | Photo by Salvador Palacios |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Cerro Ceibo | Photo by Paul Hamilton |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Hacienda Equinox | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Hacienda Las Marujitas | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | La Mayronga | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Santo Domingo, 30 km NNW of | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Buenavista | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Cerro de Hayas | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Café Finca Las Cascadas | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Lita | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Paramba | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Reserva Los Cedros | Photo by Eduardo Obando |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Centro Científico Río Palenque | USNM 285476; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Finca Elba | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Jama Coaque Reserve | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Maicito | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Sendero Bola de Oro | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Trinidad | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Cusuime | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Gualaquiza | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Macas | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Macuma | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Méndez | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Quebrada Río Napinaza | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Road Shaime–Puerto Morona | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Chontapunta | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Napo | Finca Fischer | TCWC 65514; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Napo | Guagua Sumaco, 10 km west of | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Jatun Sacha Biological Reserve | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Río Cotopino | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Río Suno | USNM 287926; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Napo | Tena | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Napo | Wild Sumaco Lodge | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Yachana Reserve | Photo by Scott Waters |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Ávila Viejo | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Coca | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Coca, 9 km south of | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Loreto | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Road AMO 1–Río Yasuní | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Shiripuno Lodge | Photo by Rudy Gelis |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Yasuní Scientific Station | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Arajuno | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Balsaura | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Bloque 10-Agip Oil | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Bobonaza | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Canelos | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Conambo | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Curaray medio | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Kapawi Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Montalvo | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Palta | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Puyo | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Arajuno, headwaters of | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Capahuari | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Chambira | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Huiyoyacu | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Pindo | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Villano | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | San Jorge, 2 km E of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Sarayacu | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Sumak Kawsay In Situ | Photo by Danilo Medina |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Tambo Unión | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Hacienda La Hesperia | Brouwer 2018 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Hostería Selva Virgen | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | La Unión del Toachi, 14 km SE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Maquipucuna Reserve | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mashpi Lodge | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mashpi Shungo | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Milpe Bird Sanctuary | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mindo | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mindo Garden Lodge | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mindo–Cunuco road | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mindo–Los Bancos | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Nanegalito, 1 km NW of | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Otongachi Reserve | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Río Alambi | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Río Cinto | Photo by Lisa Brunetti |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Río Silanche | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Santa Lucía Cloud Forest Reserve | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Séptimo Paraíso Lodge | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Tandapi | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Tandayapa | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Vía a Cascada de Mindo | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Yellow House Lodge | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Finca la Esperanza | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | La Florida | MHNG 2309.071 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Puerto Limón | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Reserva Forestal La Perla | Photo by Plácido Palacios |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Río Baba | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Santo Domingo, 23 km W of | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Comunidad Singue | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Dureno | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Dureno, 18 km N of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | El Porvenir | Nogueira et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | El Reventador | MHNG 2248.035 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Limoncocha | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Nicky Amazon Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Road El Reventador–Lumbaqui | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | San Pablo de Kantesiya | MHNG 2309.072 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Santa Cecilia | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Copalinga | Reeves et al. (unpublished) |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Cumbaratza, 2 km N of | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Las Orquídeas, 7 km N of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Maycu Reserve | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Río Nangaritza | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Valladolid | MHNG 2248.034 |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Valle del Quimi | Betancourt et al. 2018 |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Zamora | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Zamora, 10 km north of | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Zumba–Pucubamba road | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Perú | Amazonas | Aguaruna Village | MVZ 175311; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | Chiriaco, 31 km SW of | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Perú | Amazonas | Huambisa Village | MVZ 175307; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | Huampami | USNM 316580; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | Imasa | MVZ 163248; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | Kagka | USNM 316582; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | Kayamas | USNM 316581; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | La Poza | USNM 566553; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | Puerto Galilea | USNM 566552; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | Río Caterpiza | USNM 566711; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | Tujushik Entse | USNM 316579; VertNet |