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Trans-Andean Vine-Snake (Oxybelis transandinus)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Serpentes | Colubridae | Oxybelis transandinus
English common name: Trans-Andean Vine-Snake.
Spanish common name: Bejuquilla transandina.
Recognition: ♂♂ 124.3 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=73.1 cm. ♀♀ 157.8 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=99.1 cm..1 Oxybelis transandinus is easily differentiated from all other snakes in the Ecuadorian coastal region by having an extraordinarily thin and elongated body, a projected and pointed snout, no loreal scale, 17 rows of dorsal scales at mid-body, and a “dry twig” coloration.1–3 The dorsal pattern consists of brown and black markings on a pale brown background (Fig. 1). The belly is cream, clouded with brown pigment, and marked by a dark mid-ventral stripe on the first quarter.1 This species differs from O. brevirostris by having a brown coloration.1 Males of O. transandinus differ from females by having a longer tail.1
Figure 1: Individuals of Oxybelis transandinus from Morromico, Chocó department, Colombia.
Natural history: Oxybelis transandinus is a diurnal and arboreal snake that inhabits seasonally dry forests and dry shrublands with various degrees of human intervention, including roadsides, forest edges, and peri-urban areas.1,4 The species occurs in lower densities in more mesic habitats such as rainforests. During the day, Trans-Andean Vine-Snakes can be observed crawling at ground level or moving on vegetation, usually among twigs that match their coloration.1,4 Their movement through the foliage is slow and reminiscent of a twig swaying in the wind. At night, these snakes roost coiled on leaves and branches up to 4 m above the ground.1,4 The diet in this species is largely composed of lizards (including Basiliscus galeritus, Holcosus septemlineatus, Microlophus occipitalis, Phyllodactylus reissii, Stenocercus iridescens, and S. puyango).4,5 A salient defense mechanism of vine snakes in general consists of raising the anterior third of the body in an S-shape while inflating the neck and opening the mouth aggressively.4 They are also prone to strike with little provocation. Their bite, though toxic to small prey, is harmless to humans.
Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances.. Oxybelis transandinus is a recently described species. Therefore, its conservation status has not yet undergone a formal evaluation by the IUCN Red List. Here, it is proposed to be included in the LC category because the species has presumably high population densities (even in degraded environments4) and a wide distribution spanning many protected areas (at least 11 in Ecuador and Perú). It is still possible that the Chocoan populations of “O. aeneus” in both Ecuador and Colombia correspond to this species. Therefore, O. transandinus may be more widespread than currently thought.
Distribution: Oxybelis transandinus is widely distributed throughout the Tumbesian-Chocoan transition area of Ecuador (Fig. 2) and northern Perú. Records labeled “O. aeneus” from the Colombian Pacific coast, including Gorgona Island,3 probably correspond to this species.
Figure 2: Distribution of Oxybelis transandinus in Ecuador. The star corresponds to the type locality: Bosqueira Protected Forest, Guayas province. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.
Etymology: The generic name Oxybelis comes from the Greek words oxys (=acute) and belos (=arrow).6 The specific epithet transandinus comes from the Latin words trans (=beyond) and andinus (=Andean), referring to the distribution west of the Andes.1
See it in the wild: The Trans-Andean Vine-Snake is a rarely seen species, being recorded no more than once every few months at any given locality. This is probably a combination of naturally low population densities and the remarkably elusive behavior and cryptic appearance of the snake. Prime locations for this species include Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco and Parque Nacional Machalilla.
Authors: Amanda QuezadaaAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,bAffiliation: Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador. and Alejandro ArteagabAffiliation: Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.
Photographer: Jose VieiraaAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,cAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador.
How to cite? Quezada A, Arteaga A (2024) Trans-Andean Vine-Snake (Oxybelis transandinus). 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/YPMF8711
Literature cited:
- Torres-Carvajal O, Mejía-Guerrero M, Terán C (2021) Adding missing vines to the tree: multilocus phylogeny of New World vine snakes (Serpentes: Colubridae: Oxybelis), with description of a new species. Journal of Natural History 55: 2027-2046. DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2021.1986164
- Cruz-García K, Barreno M, Cuadrado S, Moretta-Urdiales MDM, Molina-Moreira N, Salas JA, Torres-Domínguez A, Narváez AE (2023) Amphibians and reptiles of Isla Santay (Durán, Ecuador). Check List 19: 347–369. DOI: 10.15560/19.3.347
- Castro-Herrera F, Valencia-Aguilar A, Villaquirán-Martínez DF (2012) Diversidad de anfibios y reptiles del Parque Nacional Natural Isla Gorgona. Universidad del Valle, Cali, 112 pp.
- Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
- Photographic records by Julio Narváez, Gabriel Stephen, Diego Torres, and Jorge Castillo.
- 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 Oxybelis transandinus in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used. Asterisk (*) indicates type locality.
| Country | Province | Locality | Source |
| Colombia | Nariño | Mar Agrícola | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Colombia | Nariño | Tumaco, 2 km S of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Above Poetate | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Poetate | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Azuay | San Juan | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Sulupali | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Yunguilla Biological Reserve | Yánez-Muñoz 2010 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Yunguilla-Susudel | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Carchi | Chinambí | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Isla Costa Rica | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Las Balsas | MHNG 2397.068; collection database |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Reserva Militar Arenillas | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Río Jubones | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Santa Isabel, 15 km W of | USNM 204146; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Esmeraldas | AMNH 20408; examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Playa Escondida | Online multimedia |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Same | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Tundaloma Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Vicinities of San Mateo | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Bosque Protector Cerro el Paraíso | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Bosqueira Protected Forest* | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Capeira | Photo by Eduardo Zavala |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Chongón | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Comuna San Miguel | Photo by Luis Oyagata |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Isla Puná | Navarrete 2011 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Isla Santay | Cruz-García et al. 2023 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Lago de Chongón | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Manglaralto | CM S9925; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Palmar del Río | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Playas | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Posorja, 2 km W of | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Quebrada Las Cañas | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Reserva Manglares Churute | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Río Daule | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Paramba | AMNH 13437; examined |
| Ecuador | Loja | Bosque Petrificado Puyango | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Loja | Jorupe Biological Reserve | Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2008 |
| Ecuador | Loja | La Ceiba | Photo by Darwin Martínez |
| Ecuador | Loja | La Guatara | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Loja | Macará, 5.8 km NW of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Loja | Puyango | Yánez-Muñoz et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Agua Blanca | ZSFQ-010; GBIF |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Bocana de Búa | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Bosque Protector Cerro Seco | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Cerro Montecristi | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Eloy Alfaro | Photo by Regdy Vera |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Eloy Alfaro, 6 km S of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Eloy Alfaro, 8.2 km S of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Isla de la Plata | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Jipijapa | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | La Plata Island | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Lalo Loor | Photo by Rhianna Banana |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Los Frailes | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Parque Nacional Machalilla | Cisneros-Heredia et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Pichincha, 10 km NW of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Río Manta | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | San Vicente | Photo by Noemi Cevallos |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Santa Ana | MHNG 2529.04; collection database |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mashpi Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Nanegal | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santa Elena | Ancón | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Santa Elena | Chanduy | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Santa Elena | Dos Mangas | Guncay 2022 |
| Ecuador | Santa Elena | La Libertad | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Perú | Lambayeque | Fundo Vera, 4 km NW of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Perú | Lambayeque | Hacienda San Martín | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Perú | Tumbes | Cabo Inga | Tello 1998 |
| Perú | Tumbes | Parque Nacional Cerros de Amotape | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Perú | Tumbes | Quebrada Faical | LSUMZ 39406; VertNet |