Green Parrot Snake, Leptophis ahaetulla

Green Parrot Snake, Leptophis ahaetulla. Photograph taken within the confines of the LaPaz Waterfall Gardens National Park, Alajuela, Costa Rica, February, 2012.  Photograph courtesy of Carol Snow, Del Mar, California.

The Green Parrot Snake, Leptophis ahaetulla, is a member of the Colubridae family of North American Racers, Coachwhips, and Whipsnakes. The Colubridae family comprises two-thirds of the world’s snake population with one thousand seven hundred sixty members placed in twenty-six genera. There are twelve species in the Leptophis genus. There are ten known subspecies of the Green Parrot Snake. They are also known as the Lora Snake or Parrot Snake. In Mexico the Green Parrot Snake is known as Serpiente Loro Verde.

Green Parrot Snakes have a long, slender body that is slightly compressed laterally. They have a large, elongated, and triangular-shaped head that is distinct from their neck. Their eyes are large and yellow with dark, round pupils. They have a forked tongue, which they use to gain information about their surroundings. Having a forked tongue is advantageous because there is more surface area to obtain information, including the direction the chemical cue is coming from. As a sensory organ, their forked tongues are used to capture prey, choose mates, find shelter, avoid predators, and assist in courtship. Green Parrot Snakes are bright green, golden, or bronzy in color dorsally, and the keels of their dorsal scales are black or dark brown. Each side of their head is marked with a black streak that passes through their eye. Their upper lip and ventral side are white or yellow in color. Their dorsal scales are arranged in 15 rows at midbody and are strongly keeled. The scales on their neck and tail are smooth. Green Parrot Snakes reach a maximum of 1.72 m (5 feet 8 inches) in length which includes their 59 cm (23 inch) tail. 

Green Parrot Snakes are diurnal and spend their nights hidden in vegetation. Since they are a tropical species of snake, their activity is also dependent upon the seasons. During the rainy season, their hunting activity is more prevalent because the number of amphibians, such as frogs, are denser due to breeding. Green Parrot Snakes are solitary, typically avoiding each other in the wild. Unlike other species of snakes, they do not actively defend a territory. They are primarily arboreal, but will venture on the ground and in caves in search of prey. They feed on frogs, frog eggs, lizards, insects, birds, and bird eggs. They are known to demonstrate cannibalism and feed on other snakes. While Green Parrot Snakes are considered to be non-venomous, they do produce very weak venom in their Duvernoy’s Gland which is effective on their small prey but causes little danger to humans. Additionally, they harbor bacteria in their mouth that can cause an infection if bitten. Green Parrot Snakes are highly aggressive and perform several antipredator behaviors. When threatened, they raise the anterior part of their body, open their mouth wide, hiss, and inflate their neck area. If the threat continues, they recoil and perform dummy strikes. These are not actual strikes, rather, they are fake attempts to scare off the threat. The sexual behavior of the Green Parrot snake is similar to that of other snake species, with three phases observed in courtship. When a male finds a female, he first attempts to mount her. If the male successfully mounts the female, he begins to make wave-like motions from head to tail, or vice versa, while flicking his tongue or biting her. Then, the male attempts to put his cloaca next to the female’s. If the female is receptive, she allows him to insert his hemipenis. Green Parrot Snakes are oviparous and typically lay a clutch of 3 to 5 eggs at a time. The young are precocial, meaning they can start moving and caring for themselves at birth. They live 7 to 8 years in the wild and 10 to 15 years in captivity. The Green Parrot Snake is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

Green Parrot Snakes may be confused with Lichtenstein’s Green Racer, Philodryas olfersii (longitudinal band of brown color from the back of their head to their tail). 

From a conservation perspective, the Green Parrot Snake is considered to be of Least Concern due to their wide distribution, stable population, and lack of any major threats. Some localized habitat loss occurs within their range due to expanding small-holder farming, but this is not considered to be a major threat to the species. While Green Parrot Snakes do not pose a threat to humans, Extreme Caution should be used if encountered. They will readily bite if handled and their venom can cause severe pain and swelling. Bite wounds may also become infected from bacteria in their mouth.