Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I went to Cozumel Island Mexico 2 weeks ago and I saw this snake on the way to see some Mayan ruins. He was about 6-7 feet long and very slim kind of reminds me of a racer.

Maybe Masticophis mentovarius

Tough to say from this photograph, but there are three largish slender "racer" like snakes that would be there, although none of the three is recorded from Cozumel, they do occur on the mainland nearby.

I also have a question about the length. Did you pick it up or measure it? Generally when a snake is slender like that it is very easy to overestimate the length.

Masticophis mentovarius - this is the only species that would exceed 6 feet, but that snake doesn't look like a mentovarius to me. It is too brown.

Pseustes poecilonotus - Again a long slender dark snake, but I don't think this is dark enough. Usually Pseustes have a strong bicolored look (dark above, yellow below).

Senticolis triaspis - although these are called "green" ratsnakes, the specimens from the Yucatan are a reddish brown, like this snake you show. The really slender tail and the slightly wider head also suggest Senticolis to me as well. And Senticolis is a common roadkill throughout much of the dry forest areas of Mexico and central America.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

I might be a little off on the measurements so a fairly large triaspis is most likely it. You said that these aren't recorded on Cozumel Island. Is there any snakes that are actually regularly found on Cozumel Island?

Here's another photo with my foot for size reference. My guess it's actually closer to 5 feet long.

I still think it is Senticolis like, but it almost looks like it had a speckled pattern. Senticolis wouldn't have that.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

No there definately was no speckled pattern. It was uniform pattern. No speckling at all

If so, if they live there, a coachwhip?????????????????