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Does anyone know of a precise, verifiable definition for the term "cribo"? And, why is it used to refer to Drymarchon and Spilotes? My own searching has turned up little besides literary references to cribo being synonomous with "chicken eater", and also cribo being one of many forms of saying "to sort, separate, select", or in some uses, to "strain, as through a strainer".

How did that term come to be attached to our favorite snakes?

Not sure but calling them "Cribo" beats the hell out of "South American Indigo" we also call them Gophersnakes, Bluesnakes, Pilotsnakes, Blacksnakes, even heard them refered to as Kingsnakes. my guess is they started calling them Cribos a hundred years ago because they never heard of Indigos down there in South/Cent America...JB

Does anyone know of a precise, verifiable definition for the term "cribo"? And, why is it used to refer to Drymarchon and Spilotes? My own searching has turned up little besides literary references to cribo being synonomous with "chicken eater", and also cribo being one of many forms of saying "to sort, separate, select", or in some uses, to "strain, as through a strainer".

How did that term come to be attached to our favorite snakes?

I couldn't come up with anything that directly related to why they are called Cribos. The best I could find was the word has it's root in the Spanish cribar which as you pointed out has to do with screening, sieving, separating sorting etc.
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BigT
There is a difference between ignorance and stupidity. The ignorant can be taught, stupidity is beyond our control.
1.2 P. m. melanoleucus B/W N. J. Northern Pines
1.2 P. d. deppei Mexican Pines
2.2 P. l. lineaticollis Linis or Lined Pines
1.2 P. m. lodingi Black Pines
0.3 P. c. sayi Kingsville X Stillwater red bulls
1.1 Drymarchon melenurus Blacktail Cribo
1.2 D. corais Yellowtail Cribos
1.2 M. s. cheynei Jungle Carpet
2.6 L. p. pyromelana Arizona Mt. Kings
1.1 L. g. californiae B/W Cali kings
0.0.3 M. f. flagellum Eastern Coachwhips
1.2 G. m. bottegoi Western Plated lizards

Well, at one time or another, clelia, spilotes, pseustes, etc have all been referred to as "cribo".

In some parts of the Caribbean and Central America, cribo is a term that is roughly used to mean "snake" in general.

Unlike the word "drymarchon", I don't think you will find a precise meaning for "cribo". My understanding is that it is nothing but a regional slang for snake.

I'm old enough to remember the 1970's (or maybe it was the early 80's) revolutionary group in Grenada named "CRIBO"............

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

My wife's friend is Venezuelan and I asked her several years ago what "cribo" meant and she said "snake".

I think it was Iguana Magazine that did a story seven or so years ago about reptiles in the lesser Antilles in which they discussed how clelia are still referred to as cribos.

In Kingsley's "A Christmas in West Indies" he refers to a snake called a cribo that is more or less black with bright yellow around the belly and the tail that feeds on the fer-de-lance.

I think it's a colloquialism and that no real precise definition or translation exists...........