Black-banded Snake

Black-banded Snake

Scolecophis atrocinctus

Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
2 Verified sightings at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve From 2019 to 2026
15 Verified sightings across all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Black-banded Snake

Scolecophis is a genus of snake in the family Colubridae that contains the sole species Scolecophis atrocinctus. Its genus name is derived from Greek: skolex meaning a worm or grub and ophis meaning snake, referring to what it likes to eat. Its species name is derived from Latin ater meaning black and cingula meaning girdle referring to its physical appearance. It is commonly known as the black-banded snake.

It is found in Central America. It ranges from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Their diet consists of invertebrates such as centipede, arachnids, worms, crickets, millipedes, and grubs. This snake reaches a length of 18–24 in. (45–60 cm.) It is black and white banded with red spots on the white bands down their spine from head to tail. They have tiny eyes and a flat head.

There is still a lot of unknown about this species. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
2 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Insufficient data
3 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
4 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
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