This species is found in a wide variety of natural habitats, and also in disturbed areas. It usually forages on the ground but sometimes climbs low shrubs and trees. It feeds on a wide range of prey, ranging from fishes and frogs to reptiles, mammals, and bird eggs. It is an egg-laying species.

This species is widely distributed in South America (and Trinidad) east of the Andes, and south to Argentina (Wüster et al. 2001). This author describes its distribution as ranging from "Venezuela to southern Brazil", referring records west of this range (and in North and Central America) to the former subspecies Drymarchon melanurus. Cadle (1992) considers that records from southern and central Colombia, where the two forms have been considered to co-occur (Pérez-Santos and Moreno 1988) are in need of verification. It occurs at elevations between sea level and 1,600 m.

This species is present in several protected areas throughout its range. Classified as Threatened in Argentina (Giraudo et al. 2012).