You're right about the term being used for other species, at least in literature. Interestingly, I've personally never heard "cribo" used for any snake in Mexico, Central America, the Carribean, or the Northern Amazon. Not to say it's not used somewhere. I just haven't heard it.

Which makes me wonder if "cribo" is like "fer-de-lance." Fer-de-lance is used universally by anglos in reference to big lance-head pitvipers throughout Latin America. When in fact, no native-speaking people know of a snake called a "fer-de-lance." It is a made-up name for French literature. On Martinique where Bothrops lanceolatus lives (the "true" fer-de-lance), the locals simply call it "serpent."

Mussuranas in some regions are known as "cassadora negro" or the "black hunter." Dark-colored races of Drymarchon might upon occasion share the name.

Cheers,

Terry Vandeventer

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