Oxyrhopus occipitalis is a neotropical snake of the family Dipsadidae. It occurs in Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Venezuela. It is often confused with Oxyrhopus formosus, a Brazilian species. Oxyrhopus occipitalis is more slender, the snout is yellow and the top of the head is brown, adults are red with very faint darker bands; O. formosus is more robust, the head is entirely yellow, and adults have obvious transverse dark bands