Dipsas articulata
species of reptile
Dipsas articulata, commonly known as the American snail-eater, is a non-venomous species of snake found in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
Common names
D. articulata is known by a few names including the American snail-eater, but also the red-striped thirst snake and the Central American snail-eater.
Distribution and habitat
The distribution of this species extends from the lowlands of southeastern Nicaragua to northwestern Panama. It has been identified mostly in parks, reserves, and other natural areas, like the Tirimbina Biological Reserve in Costa Rica and Portobelo National Park in Panama. The first record in Nicaragua was in 2002 during a herpetofaunal survey in Refugio Bartola when a male individual was found coiled up partially obscured by a vine on a tree trunk. A new record in Coclé, Panama in 2014 in a mid-elevation cloud forest extended its known geographic range slightly.
This arboreal species of snake has been found in lowland tropical wet forests. It is commonly found perched on trees or in vegetation low to the ground, likely searching for its main diet of terrestrial snails. There is a record of an individual found in a bromeliad attached to a fallen tree in Trinidad.
Description
This species has a dorsal ground color of white with 14-17 reddish-brown to black bands that are approximately equal in length throughout the body.
The public source identifies “Dipsas articulata” as species of reptile. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Dipsas, articulata and species.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Dipsas articulata”, the useful work is to connect “species of reptile” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 29, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q3029216. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2002 and 2014.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Dipsas articulata”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Dipsas articulata primary sources, Dipsas articulata archive and Dipsas research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Dipsas articulata”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Dipsas articulata” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.