biology

Oxybelis aeneus

Oxybelis aeneus is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Oxybelis aeneus rather than just read about it. In short: Oxybelis aeneus, commonly known as the Mexican vine snake or brown vine snake, is a species of colubrid snake, which is endemic to the Americas. Geographic range and habitat Oxybelis aeneus is found through southern Mexico, to northern South America and Trinidad and Tobago.

Key takeaways

Oxybelis aeneus belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Oxybelis aeneus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Oxybelis aeneus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Oxybelis aeneus, commonly known as the Mexican vine snake or brown vine snake, is a species of colubrid snake, which is endemic to the Americas.

Geographic range and habitat Oxybelis aeneus is found through southern Mexico, to northern South America and Trinidad and Tobago. There is no loreal scale, and there are 8–10 upper labials. The smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 17 rows at midbody. Ventrals 173–205; subcaudals 150–188, divided (paired). The anal plate is divided in Arizona specimens, but is entire in South American specimens.

Common names In Arizona O. aeneus is also called "pike-headed tree snake". In Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, it is known as a "horse whip" or "vine snake".

Behavior Mostly arboreal and diurnal, O. aeneus is quite often mistaken for a vine. When threatened, it sometimes releases foul smelling secretions from its vent.

Diet Oxybelis aeneus feeds mainly on lizards (mostly anoles), but also eats frogs, small rodents and birds.

Venom Oxybelis aeneus is a mildly venomous rear-fanged snake, but it is not considered dangerous to humans.

Reproduction Oxybelis aeneus is oviparous. Clutch sizes of 3–6 have been published. In Arizona, hatching occurs in September.

References

Further reading Behler, John L.; King, F. Wayne (1979). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 743 pp. ISBN 0-394-50824-6. (Oxybelis aeneus, pp. 641–642). Boos, Hans E.A. (2001). The Snakes of Trinidad and Tobago. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 1-58544-116-3. Schmidt, Karl P.; Davis, D. Dwight (1941). Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 365 pp. (Oxybelis microphthalmus, pp. 266–268, Figure 88). Stebbins, Robert C. (2003). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition. The Peterson Field Guide Series ®. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. xiii + 533 pp. ISBN 0-395-98272-3. (Oxybelis aeneus, pp. 402–403 + Plate 47 + Map 144). Wagler, "Jean" [sic] (1824). "Serpentum Brasiliensium species novae, ou histoire naturelle des espèces nouvelles de serpens, recueillies et observées pendant le voyage dans l'intèrieur du Brésil dans les années 1817, 1818, 1819, 1820, exécuté par ordre de sa Majesté le Roi de Baviére ". In: Spix, '"Jean de" [sic] (1824). Animalia nova sive species novae. Munich: F.S. Hübbschmann. viii + 75 pp. + Plates I-XXVI. (Dryinus aeneus, new species, pp. 12–13 + Plate III). (in Latin and French). Zim, Herbert S.; Smith, Hobart M. (1956). Reptiles and Amphibians: A Guide to Familiar Species: A Golden Nature Guide. New York: Simon and Schuster. 160 pp. (Oxybelis aeneus, pp. 82, 84, 156).

External links

Oxybelis aeneus eating a rosebelly lizard (Sceloporus variabilis)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Oxybelis aeneus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Oxybelis aeneus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Oxybelis aeneus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Oxybelis aeneus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Oxybelis aeneus

In research: Oxybelis aeneus appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Oxybelis aeneus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Oxybelis aeneus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Arboreal reptiles, IUCN Red List least concern species, Oxybelis, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Oxybelis aeneus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Oxybelis aeneus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Oxybelis aeneus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Oxybelis aeneus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Oxybelis aeneus in simple terms?

Oxybelis aeneus, commonly known as the Mexican vine snake or brown vine snake, is a species of colubrid snake, which is endemic to the Americas. Geographic range and habitat Oxybelis aeneus is found through southern Mexico, to northern South America and Trinidad and Tobago.

Why does Oxybelis aeneus matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Oxybelis aeneus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Oxybelis aeneus.