A small, slender, and secretive snake that lives in the tropical rainforests and cloud forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico through much of Central America and into parts of northern South America. As its name suggests, this snake is a specialist — it feeds mainly on snails, slugs, and other soft-bodied creatures, using its unique jaw structure to skillfully extract snails from their shells without breaking them. Despite its eerie name, the cloudy snail-eating snake is completely harmless to humans.

This species has a thin, delicate body, and its coloration is one of its standout features: the cloudy snail-eating snake is usually grayish, brown, or olive with a series of dark, cloudy blotches or bands along its back, giving it a beautifully muted, camouflaged appearance. This pattern helps it blend perfectly into wet leaves, mossy branches, and forest floors, making it very hard to spot in the wild. Its large, round eyes with vertical pupils give it an almost soft, curious look suited for its slow and careful lifestyle.

The cloudy snail-eating snake is nocturnal, emerging at night to hunt in damp environments like leaf litter, mossy logs, bromeliads, and shrubs. It moves slowly and gracefully, using its excellent sense of smell to locate prey. Once it finds a snail or slug, it uses specialized curved teeth and flexible jaws to carefully pull the soft body out of the shell — a delicate process that most other predators can’t manage. Occasionally, it will also eat insect larvae or soft-bodied worms if the opportunity arises.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Belize

2015

Brazil

2015

Colombia

2015

Costa Rica

2015

Ecuador

2015

El Salvador

2015

French Guiana

2015

Guatemala

2015

Guyana

2015

Honduras

2015

Mexico

2015

Nicaragua

2015

Panama

2015

Suriname

2015

Trinidad & Tobago

2015

Venezuela

2015