Philodryas chamissonis, commonly known as the long-tailed snake, is a venomous colubrid

Colubrid

A colubrid is a member of the snake family Colubridae. This broad classification of snakes includes about two-thirds of all snake species on earth. The earliest species of the snake family date back to the Oligocene epoch. With 304 genera and 1,938 species, Colubridae is the largest snake family...

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Geographic range

This species is endemic to Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 and has a large distribution, from Copiapo to Valdivia.

Description

Usually, it is grey, with black and white longitudinal stripes on the body. It is a medium-sized snake, which usually reaches 1.4 m in total length.

Conservation status

It is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN, and is a protected animal in Chile

Chile

Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

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Venom

It is rarely found, but its bite is painful and swells.