Christian Perez is currently studying anoles at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. Recently, he found a vine snake. Here’s his report:

As I reached towards the snake, I startled an anole (Anolis limifrons) that was hiding nearby. The snake turned rapidly, looked at the anole, and made movements synchronized with the wind to remain inconspicuous among surrounding vegetation. I stayed with them for a while, and after one failed strike, the snake successfully stalked and caught the anole. The snake took under a minute to consume the lizard, and it was very friendly after its meal.

Also, there is not a single widely supported theory for the snake’s tongue extension when stalking the anole. This is distinct from tongue flickering in other snakes.

Jonathan Losos
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