Published July 17, 2024. Updated August 23, 2025. Open access. | Purchase book ❯ |
Miyata’s Centipede-Snake (Tantilla miyatai)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Serpentes | Colubridae | Tantilla miyatai
English common name: Miyata’s Centipede-Snake.
Spanish common names: Culebra ciempiés de Miyata, culebra encapuchada de Miyata.
Recognition: ♂♂ 37.5 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=27.1 cm..1 Tantilla miyatai may be recognized from other snakes in its area of distribution by having the following combination of features: smooth scales arranged in 15 rows at mid-body, a round head similar in width to the neck, small eyes, no loreal scale, and a brownish dorsum with a black head cap and a pattern of thin black longitudinal lines (Fig. 1).1,2 The presence of a black head cap distinguishes T. miyatai from T. equatoriana and T. fraseri.
Figure 1: Individuals of Tantilla miyatai from Ecuador: Eloy Alfaro, Manabí province (); Reserva Yapankam, Pichincha province ().
Natural history: Tantilla miyatai is an uncommon terrestrial and semi-fossorial snake that inhabits rainforests as well as seasonally dry forests, occurring also in semi-open areas such as along roads and in pastures.3 Miyata’s Centipede-Snakes are typically seen active on the forest floor or crossing roads during the daytime.3 Their activity occurs during sunny days as well as under rainy conditions.3 Based on what is known about the ecology of centipede snakes in general, it is presumed that this species feeds primarily on centipedes of the genus Scolopendra. Snakes of the genus Tantilla are opisthoglyphous, which means they are venomous to their prey, but not dangerous to humans.
Conservation: Near Threatened Not currently at risk of extinction, but requires some level of management to maintain healthy populations.. Tantilla miyatai is included in this category, instead of Data Deficient,4 because there is now adequate information to make an assessment of its extinction risk based on its distribution data. The species has been recorded in at least 46 localities, including 5 protected areas, and its extent of occurrence is estimated to be around 41,000 km2. Unfortunately, the species still faces mounting habitat pressures from deforestation, notably driven by the transformation of rainforests into palm oil plantations. Approximately 76% of the species’ potential distribution area has already been converted into pastures and agricultural fields.5 Furthermore, the area experiences an annual loss of an additional 254 km2 of forest cover.5 Nearly all lowland localities now lie extensively deforested, rendering the survival of the species there unlikely.
Distribution: Tantilla miyatai is endemic to an area of approximately 41,240 km2 along the Chocoan-Tumbesian transition area of western Ecuador (Fig. 2).
Figure 2: Distribution of Tantilla miyatai in Ecuador. The star corresponds to the type locality: Puerto Quito, Pichincha province. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.
Etymology: The generic name Tantilla, which is derived from the Latin word tantillus (=little),6 probably refers to the small body size of snakes of this genus. The species is named after U.S. herpetologist Kenneth Miyata (1951–1983), in recognition of his contributions to the herpetology of Ecuador.1
See it in the wild: Prime locations for encountering individuals of Tantilla miyatai in the field include Centro Río Palenque and Jama-Coaque Reserve, where these snakes are spotted at a rate of about once every few months.
Special thanks to James L. Knight for symbolically adopting the Miyata’s Centipede-Snake and helping bring the Reptiles of Ecuador book project to life.
Click here to adopt a species.
Acknowledgments: Special thanks to Regdy Vera for finding the individual of Tantilla miyatai from Manabí province, and to Joel Cooper for locating the individual photographed at Reserva Yapankam.
Author: Alejandro ArteagaaAffiliation: Fundación Khamai, Reserva Arlequín, Ecoruta Paseo del Quinde km 56, Santa Rosa de Mindo, Pichincha 171202, Ecuador.
Photographer: Amanda QuezadaaAffiliation: Fundación Khamai, Reserva Arlequín, Ecoruta Paseo del Quinde km 56, Santa Rosa de Mindo, Pichincha 171202, Ecuador.
How to cite? Arteaga A (2025) Miyata’s Centipede-Snake (Tantilla miyatai). 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/KABV6944
Literature cited:
- Wilson LD, Knight JL (1987) Tantilla miyatai, new species. In: Wilson LD (Ed) A résumé of the Colubrid snakes of the genus Tantilla of South America. Milwaukee Public Museum Contributions in Biology and Geology 68: 12–15.
- Wilson LD (1990) Tantilla miyatai Wilson & Knight. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 477: 1.
- Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
- Cisneros-Heredia DF (2017) Tantilla miyatai. The IUCN Red List of threatened species. Available from: www.iucnredlist.org. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T203322A2763897.en
- MAE (2012) Línea base de deforestación del Ecuador continental. Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador, Quito, 30 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 Tantilla miyatai in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used.
| Country | Province | Locality | Source |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Tansaray | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Balzapamba | AMNH 35945; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Cantón Caluma | Greenbaum et al. 2004 |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Río Verde | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Valle del Chanchán | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Bosque JDLS | Photo by Christophe Pellet |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Piñas, 9 km W of | UF 53617; VertNet |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Reserva Biológica Buenaventura | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Road to Buenaventura Reserve | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Bilsa Biological Reserve | Ortega-Andrade et al. 2010 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Cabeceras de Bilsa | Almendariz & Carr 2007 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Centro de Fauna James Brown | Photo by Salvador Palacios |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | El Carmen, 2 km NE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Quinindé | Wilson & Mena 1980 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Reserva Canandé | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Vuelta Larga | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Guayaquil | Wilson & Mena 1980 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Guayaquil, Samborondón | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Centro Científico Río Palenque | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Puerto de Ilá | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Calceta, 3.6 km SE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Colorado | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | El Aromo | Photo by Juan Carlos Sanchez |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Eloy Alfaro | Photo by Regdy Vera |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Eloy Alfaro, 4 km S of | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | La Crespa | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Los Senderos de Tachila | Photo by Tina Swan |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Machalilla | Arteaga et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Manta | MZUA.RE.0124; examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Portoviejo | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Reserva Jama Coaque | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Río Chico | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mashpi Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Puerto Quito* | Wilson & Knight 1987 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Quito, 123 km W of | David Salazar, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Reserva Yapankam | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Río Blanco | Torres-Carvajal et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Hostería Tinalandia | Greenbaum et al. 2004 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Juliio Moreno | Greenbaum et al. 2004 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | La Unión del Toachi | USMN 198732; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Meme | Wilson & Mena 1980 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Parque Chanchay | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Puerto de Ilá | USNM 287938; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Río Baba, 19 km S of Santo Domingo | UIMNH 92236; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Río Baba, 24 km S of Santo Domingo | Wilson & Mena 1980 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Santo Domingo de los Colorados | Arteaga et al. 2013 |