This arboreal species inhabits a variety of subtropical and tropical wet and moist forest habitats, including cloud forest, and rarely in dry forest. It is often found in the vicinity of breeding aggregations of frogs which they prey as well as their eggs (Campbell 1998, Lee 2000, Oliva et al. 2013), they feed also on snakes (McKelvy et al. 2013). It is an egg-laying species.

Range extends from southern Texas in the United States through western, eastern, and southern Mexico (south to Sinaloa on the Pacific slope) and Central America to Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru in northwestern South America (Lee 2000). Elevational range extends from near sea level to at least 2,300 meters (Campbell 1998). The species is not found in Venezuela; records from there represent misidentified Leptodeira bakeri (G. Rivas pers. comm. 2017).

Currently, this species is of relatively low conservation concern and does not require significant additional protection or major management or monitoring. The species is found in several protected areas within its the range. Conservation needs include further research into the taxonomy of this species.