this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2024
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Reptiles and Amphibians

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Imantodes cenchoa (mander.xyz)
submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 

Found this Imantodes cenchoa sleeping on top of a leaf in Punta Laguna, Quintana Roo.

Here is a photo of where it was sleeping:

There are a few different snakes of the genus Imantodes in Yucatán. What sets this species apart is that the row of scales on its back consists of enlarged scales. Here is a closeup emphasizing that row of scales. The green arrow points at an enlarged mid-dorsal scale, the blue arrow at a regular scale.

In comparison, here is a photo from an Imantodes tenuissimus that I took back in 2009 in Mérida, Yucatán (with a less sharp camera), and a closeup of its mid-dorsal scales that does not show this enlargement.

Imantodes tenuissimus

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Definition of a danger noodle. So cute. Thanks for the images!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

A danger noodle to sleeping lizards! But to humans these are inoffensive :)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

She’s a little danger noodle, not a full blown nope rope. 😄

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Aaah, got it now 🤣

[–] clashorcrashman 2 points 1 week ago

I love their eyes!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Ah! As someone with a phobia of snakes, nope nope nope nope nope.

But here's what I think is interesting: I'm actually more freaked out by it being tiny rather than less freaked out. I'd take a large python over this lil fella every day of the week. And I don't know why that's true! With spiders it's the opposite, the little ones are often downright cute and the big ones tend to be pretty unpleasant.