Published March 9, 2024. Open access. | Purchase book ❯ |
Mountain Whipsnake (Chironius monticola)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Serpentes | Colubridae | Chironius monticola
English common names: Mountain Whipsnake, Andean Whipsnake, Mountain Sipo.
Spanish common names: Serpiente látigo montañera, sipo de montaña (Ecuador); lomo de machete, juetiadora (Colombia).
Recognition: ♂♂ 156.9 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=101.4 cm. ♀♀ 131.1 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=85.9 cm..1 Chironius monticola differs from other species of Chironius by having the following combination of characters: 12 rows of dorsal scales at mid-body, an entire anal plate, no apical pits, and a unique coloration.1,2 The dorsal surfaces are uniformly green with a pair of black stripes along the tail (absent in some Ecuadorian specimens; Fig. 1).1,2 This species differs from C. exoletus by the presence of black stripes on the tail and an entire anal plate.1 From C. leucometapus, it differs by having 12, instead of 10, dorsal scale rows.3
Figure 1: Individuals of Chironius monticola: Narupa Reserve, Napo province, Ecuador (); Garagoa, Boyacá department, Colombia (); Yanayacu Biological Station, Napo province, Ecuador ().
Natural history: Chironius monticola is a semi-arboreal snake with a diurnal activity pattern. This species usually inhabits cloud forests, but also occurs in seasonally dry montane forest and páramo ecosystems.1,2 It appears to occur in higher densities in semi-open habitats such as along forest borders, in clearings, pastures with scattered trees, and even around rural areas.4,5 Mountain Whipsnakes are more active during sunny periods in otherwise cloudy environments.4 Most observations are of snakes crossing forest trails, roads, grassy fields, water bodies, or individuals frantically foraging at ground level or on trees.4 Curiously, one was submerged 1 m deep in a cold-water river.6 At night or during cold weather, these snakes remain coiled on branches up to 4 m above the ground, sometimes near streams,1,4 or in terrestrial bromeliads.2 One individual was spotted in the canopy at 40 m above the ground.7 Chironius monticola has one of the most generalist diets in the genus, feeding not only on frogs (the preferred prey item, including Pristimantis w-nigrum,8,9),1 but also on birds, rodents, and lizards.1,10 The Mountain Whipsnake, when disturbed, can exhibit an aggressive behavior which consists of raising the first third of the body while striking repeatedly.1,4 However, this is an aglyphous snake, meaning it lacks venom-inoculating teeth.1 There are recorded instances of predation on members of this species, including by eagles and the toucan Andigena laminirostris in Ecuador.4 In Colombia, male-male combat was observed. The clutch size in this species consists of 3–8 eggs.2
Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances..11 Chironius monticola is listed in this category primarily because the species is widely distributed, occurs in protected areas, and is able to tolerate some degree of habitat disturbance so long as forest remains.11 However, this species can be particularly affected by traffic, being frequently found dead-on-road in Ecuador12 and Colombia.13,14 Also, the indiscriminate killing of snakes may be a factor in the decline of some populations of this species.
Distribution: Chironius monticola is widespread throughout the tropical Andes, being found in Venezuela, Colombia, Perú, Bolivia, and Ecuador (Fig. 2). The species is found mainly on the eastern slopes of the Andes, but in Ecuador and Colombia, it also inhabits the western slopes.
Figure 2: Distribution of Chironius monticola 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.15 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. The specific epithet monticola is a Latin word meaning “dweller of the mountains.”1
See it in the wild: Mountain Whipsnakes, though uncommon throughout the majority of their distribution, are frequently encountered along the valleys of the Río Quijos and upper Río Pastaza, particularly in Reserva Narupa and Reserva La Candelaria. These snakes are most easily spotted on vegetation along water bodies at night or at ground level in semi-open areas during sunny mornings.
Special thanks to Joanne Green for symbolically adopting the Mountain Whipsnake and helping bring the Reptiles of Ecuador book project to life.
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Authors: Esteban Garzón-FrancoaAffiliation: Colecciones Biológicas de la Universidad CES (CBUCES), Facultad de Ciencias y Biotecnología, Universidad CES, Medellín, Colombia. and Laura Gómez-Mesa,bAffiliation: Escuela de Ciencias Aplicadas e Ingeniería, Universidad EAFIT, Medellín, Colombia. and Alejandro ArteagacAffiliation: Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.
Photographer: Jose VieiradAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,eAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador.
How to cite? Garzón-Franco E, Gómez-Mesa L, Arteaga A (2024) Mountain Whipsnake (Chironius monticola). 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/SNTY2753
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.
- La Marca E, Soriano PJ (2004) Reptiles de los Andes de Venezuela. Fundación Polar, Mérida, 173 pp.
- Torres-Carvajal O, Koch C, Valencia JH, Venegas PJ, Echevarría LY (2019) Morphology and distribution of the South American snake Chironius leucometapus (Serpentes: Colubridae). Phyllomedusa 18: 241–254. DOI: 10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v18i2p241-254
- Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
- Rojas-Morales JA (2012) Snakes of an urban-rural landscape in the central Andes of Colombia: species composition, distribution, and natural history. Phyllomedusa 11: 135–154.
- Grajales Echeverry A, de Plecker R, Duarte-Marín S (2022) Chironius monticola (Andean Whip Snake): behavior. Herpetological Review 53: 693.
- Manzanilla J, Fernández-Badillo A, Visbal R (1996) Fauna del Parque Nacional Henry Pittier, Venezuela: composición y distribución de los reptiles. Acta Científica Venezolana 47: 191–204.
- Ramírez-Jaramillo SM, Pozo-Zamora GM (2020) Notas del comportamiento predatorio e ingestión de Chironius monticola (Serpentes: Colubridae) en el suroccidente del Ecuador. Neotropical Biodiversity 6: 37–41. DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2020.1730548
- Photo by Eduardo Obando.
- Roberto IJ, Souza AR (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.
- Daza J, Aguayo R, Aparicio J, Gonzales L, Embert D, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Valencia J, Venegas P, Rivas G (2016) Chironius monticola. The IUCN Red List of threatened species. Available from: www.iucnredlist.org. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T44580132A44580137.en
- Medrano Vizcaíno PM (2015) Efecto de las carreteras en la mortalidad de vertebrados en un área megadiversa: los Andes Tropicales del Ecuador. MSc thesis, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, 50 pp.
- Esteban Garzón-Franco, field observation.
- Castillo JC, Urmendez D, Zambrano G (2015) Mortalidad de fauna por atropello vehicular en un sector de la vía Panamericana entre Popayán y Patía. Boletín Científico, Centro de Museos, Museo de Historia Natural 19: 207–219. DOI: 10.17151/bccm.2015.19.2.12
- Merrem B (1790) Beitrage zur Naturgeschichte. Duisburg um Lemgo, Berlin, 141 pp.
Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Chironius monticola in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used.
| Country | Province | Locality | Source |
| Colombia | Nariño | Mallama | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Nariño | Piedrancha, 5 km NW of | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Reserva Natural La Planada | Santander Oliva et al. 2023 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Ricaurte | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Vereda El Porotal | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Molleturo | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Río Chipla | Rodríguez-Guerra et al. 2020 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Zhiumir | Colección AMARU |
| Ecuador | Cañar | Mazar | MZUA.RE.0045; examined |
| Ecuador | Carchi | Chilma Bajo | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2018 |
| Ecuador | Carchi | Quinshull | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Carchi | Road Maldonado–Tulcán | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2018 |
| Ecuador | Carchi | Sector La Plata | Rodríguez-Guerra et al. 2020 |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Pallatanga | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Chilla–Guanazán | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | El Oro | El Birón | Ramírez-Jaramillo & Pozo-Zamora 2020 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Mirador de Chilla | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Above Pimampiro | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Cahuasquí | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | La Merced de Buenos Aires | Photo by Jesse Kimmerling |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Pucará, 2 km E of | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Loja | Celica, 1 km W of | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2018 |
| Ecuador | Loja | Loja, 5 km E of | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | El Ideal, 16 km N of | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2018 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Macas, environs of | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Plan de Milagro, 7 km W of | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2018 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Reserva Biológica El Quimi | Rodríguez-Guerra et al. 2020 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Reserva Tinajillas | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Baeza | AMNH 110583; examined |
| Ecuador | Napo | Baeza, 5 km S of | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Borja | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Cuyuja–Cocodrilo | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | El Chaco | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Narupa Reserve | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Río Azuela | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Río Jondachi | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Napo | San Rafael | MHNG 2412.037; collection database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Santa Rosa, 5 km NNE of | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Sumaco Camp Mirador | MZUTI 5553; examined |
| Ecuador | Napo | Wildsumaco Wildlife Sanctuary | Camper et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Yanayacu Biological Station | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Abitagua | CAS 8264; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Mera, environs of | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | El Reventador | Photo by Diego Piñán |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | La Bonita | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | La Playa | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Tungurahua | Baños de Agua Santa | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Tungurahua | Below El Triunfo | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Tungurahua | El Topo | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Tungurahua | Puntzan | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Tungurahua | Reserva La Candelaria | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Tungurahua | Río Verde | Ernesto Arbeláez, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Tungurahua | San Francisco de Mapoto | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Ecuador | Tungurahua | San Pablo, vía a El Triunfo | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2018 |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Estación San Francisco | MZUA.RE.0160; examined |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Nangaritza | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Reserva Biológica Cerro Plateado | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2018 |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Reserva Forestal El Zarza | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | San Ramón | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2018 |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Tres Aguas | Photo by Diana Encalada |
| Ecuador | Zamora Chinchipe | Zumba, 24 km W of | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2018 |
| Perú | Amazonas | Anexo San Pedro | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2018 |
| Perú | Amazonas | Base of Cerro Machinaza | USNM 525555; VertNet |
| Perú | Amazonas | Campamento Ingenio | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Perú | Amazonas | Catara Gocta | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Perú | Amazonas | Distrito Vista Alegre | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2018 |
| Perú | Amazonas | Leimebamba, 14 km NNE of | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Perú | Amazonas | Owlet Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Perú | Loreto | Yanagaen | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Perú | Piura | Huancabamba | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Perú | Piura | Peña Rica | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2018 |
| Perú | San Martín | Front range between Moyobamba and Río Marañón | Dixon et al. 1993 |
| Perú | San Martín | Road Laurel–Los Chichos | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2018 |