Well i was ask about the snake in my slide show. I walked out to our Jeep about a month ago. We were going to town I think. Well as I walked up to the back door there was this wire or vine sticking out by the rear tire. I started to grab it and yank it out but stop short. It was a snake. Now snakes don't bother me much. I have been catching snake for years. Now this snake did not care if I was there. He was not going to move till i made him. So you know me. I went and got my camera and took some pics. Then made him move on. when I got back from town I looked it up so I would know about them. Here is what i found.
About Mexican Vine Snake Vine snakes are very slender snakes, they resemble sticks or vines which helps them to stay camouflaged. They prey on lizards creeping up on them and injecting them with venom. They build dens underground and lay three to five eggs.
The Mexican Vine Snake (Oxybelis aeneus) is also known as the Brown Vine Snake. Although it is mildly venomous, it is not considered dangerous to humans. Because it lives in heavily forested and rainforest areas, it is in danger because of clearing of these forests.
Mexican Vine Snakes are very thin and are usually no bigger around than a pencil. They are excellent at camouflage as, true to their name, they resemble vines or sticks and are able to easily hide in trees. Vine snakes can range in size from 30-60 inches (76-152 cm) with an average length of 36-48 inches (91-122 cm). The scales of the snake are smooth and are arranged in 17 rows. They are brownish gray on the back and lighter on the underside, ranging in color from white at the tail to yellowish-green towards the head. There are often scattered markings of black and dark brown on the back. They have relatively large eyes that actually have round pupils, unlike the vertical slitted pupils of other snake species. Interesting Fact: Vine snakes have grooved fangs in the back of the mouth that are used to inject venom, unlike most venomous snakes with the typical hollow or retractable fangs in the front.
The primary food source for the Mexican Vine Snake appears to be lizards, which they actively hunt both on the ground and up into the trees. The snake will snag the lizard and stun it by injecting its poisonous venom. If a human is bitten by one of these snakes, however, the reaction is mild and usually only results in a small blister or reddened area and is not fatal. For smaller animals and reptiles, however, this poison results in total paralysis. Vine Snakes will also eat insects, frogs, and sometimes birds and small mammals.
Mexican Vine Snakes are very thin and are usually no bigger around than a pencil. They are excellent at camouflage as, true to their name, they resemble vines or sticks and are able to easily hide in trees. Vine snakes can range in size from 30-60 inches (76-152 cm) with an average length of 36-48 inches (91-122 cm). The scales of the snake are smooth and are arranged in 17 rows. They are brownish gray on the back and lighter on the underside, ranging in color from white at the tail to yellowish-green towards the head. There are often scattered markings of black and dark brown on the back. They have relatively large eyes that actually have round pupils, unlike the vertical slitted pupils of other snake species. Interesting Fact: Vine snakes have grooved fangs in the back of the mouth that are used to inject venom, unlike most venomous snakes with the typical hollow or retractable fangs in the front.
The primary food source for the Mexican Vine Snake appears to be lizards, which they actively hunt both on the ground and up into the trees. The snake will snag the lizard and stun it by injecting its poisonous venom. If a human is bitten by one of these snakes, however, the reaction is mild and usually only results in a small blister or reddened area and is not fatal. For smaller animals and reptiles, however, this poison results in total paralysis. Vine Snakes will also eat insects, frogs, and sometimes birds and small mammals.