[5] O. petolarius is found in central and northern South America, including Trinidad and Tobago.

[7] The preferred natural habitats of O. petolarius are forest and savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft).

In some individuals the light-colored crossbands are white instead of red on the anterior part of the body.

[3] The dorsal scales are smooth, with apical pits, and are arranged in 19 rows at midbody.

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Oxyrhopus.