Tropical Tiger Rat Snake

A marvelous snake that was 1.5 meters in length! My husband took this picture after almost stepping on it out hiking. This snake is absolutely gorgeous, black with yellow spots that form a spiral pattern along the dorsal side. The underside is yellow. It is also called the Tiger Rat Snake because of the design. These snakes are usually arboreal, but can be on the ground as this one was. It is not venomous, but feeds on small mammals, birds, lizards and probably bird eggs as well. This one must be quite old, due to its great size. This snake can be found from Southern Mexico (a native) through Central America and South America. Family Colubridae.