St Vincent Blacksnake
CR

St Vincent Blacksnake

Chironius vincenti

Unknown

Photo: (c) vince929, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

Overview

The Saint Vincent blacksnake, also commonly known as the Saint Vincent coachwhip, the San Vincent racer, and Vincent's sipo, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae.

Chironius vincenti faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urban development on St. Vincent. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to localized threats, with deforestation for banana plantations and residential construction fragmenting its remaining forest habitat. Introduced predators and competitors may also pose additional pressure on this endemic snake's already precarious population.

Threat summary

Habitat

This endemic snake inhabits the remaining primary and secondary rainforests of St. Vincent in the Lesser Antilles. It occupies both lowland and montane forest environments, typically found in areas with dense canopy cover and abundant vegetation.

Forest· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recovery

Other threatened species in COLUBRIDAE

Bourret's Cat SnakeEN

Bourret's Cat Snake

Boiga bourreti

Unknown
VU

Cave Racer

Elaphe taeniura

Declining
EN

Oligodon calamarius

Declining
EN

Sumba Ground Snake

Stegonotus sutteri

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is St Vincent Blacksnake classified as Critically Endangered?
St Vincent Blacksnake is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Chironius vincenti faces severe population decline primarily due to habitat destruction from agricultural expansion and urban development on St. Vincent. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to localized threats, with deforestation for banana plantations and residential construction fragmenting its remaining forest habitat. Introduced predators and competitors may also pose additional pressure on this endemic snake's already precarious population.
Where does St Vincent Blacksnake live?
St Vincent Blacksnake occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to St Vincent Blacksnake?
The main threats to St Vincent Blacksnake are 1.1, 2.1, 4.1, and 8.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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