It is a Neotropical genus, with members distributed from Mexico to Argentina and several islands in the Caribbean.

[1] The morphology of the hemipenis in various species has been helpful in elucidating their relationships, as little is known about the evolutionary origins of the genus.

For example, Mastigodryas bifossatus is euryphagic, consuming a wide variety of prey items.

A large part of its diet is made up of frogs, and it will also take various mammals, birds, lizards, and other snakes.

Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Mastigodryas.