Listed as Least Concern on the basis that this species is very widespread, occurs in a number of protected areas, and threats are thought to be localized.

This species ranges in forests from Sierra Leone and Guinea to Uganda, the Imatong Mountains of South Sudan and Tanzania, and south along the Rift Valley in Rwanda and Burundi (Spawls et al. 2018), and south to northwest Zambia and northern Angola (Broadley et al. 2003, Pauwels and Vande Weghe 2008). It reaches its eastern range limit along the Rift Valley and in Uganda the northern shore of Lake Victoria; an isolated subpopulation east of the rift on the Mahale Peninsula in Tanzania is presumed to have crossed from the Congolese side of the Rift when water levels were lower (Spawls et al. 2018).There are records from all West African countries within its range (Chippaux 2006). A record from Senegal is not supported by a specimen, and requires confirmation (Trape and Mané 2006). It has been recorded from 600 to about 2,200 m asl in East Africa (Spawls et al. 2002).

In some areas, such as Monts de Cristal in Gabon and in a collection from Côte d'Ivoire, this is among the most common snakes (Pauwels and Vande Weghe 2008, Spawls et al. 2018). There is no information on its population status of this species in East Africa, where it is known from a small number of disjunct records. It can be abundant but difficult to detect due to its camouflage (Spawls et al. 2018)

This arboreal, diurnal snake favours clearings in primary forest (e.g. inselbergs), in secondary forest, in gallery forest along small streams (in savanna areas in Ikelenge, Zambia - P. Wagner pers. comm. 2014), savanna and in plantations (Rödel and Mahsberg 2000, Pauwels and Vande Weghe 2008, Segniagbeto et al. 2011). In Sierra Leone it is a savanna species that does not penetrate into the country's humid forest (Menzies 1966). In eastern Africa it is predominantly a forest snake, being found in relict montane forest in Tanzania (Broadley 2001), and in forest, forest patches and woodland elsewhere (Spawls et al. 2002). Although it prefers spending time on lower branches and relies on camouflage for defence, this snake will descend to the ground to pursue prey or to cross to other trees (Spawls et al. 2002). It feeds on frogs, birds and lizards (Rödel and Mahsberg 2000, Pauwels and Vande Weghe 2008), although mostly on lizards, especially arboreal ones such as chameleons, agamas and geckos, but will also ambush ground-dwelling species from a perch , or drop down and pursue them (Spawls et al. 2002). This snake is also reputed to take eggs (Spawls et al. 2002). Females lay between 4–10 eggs (Chippaux 2006).

Localized habitat destruction through deforestation is the main threat to this species, which throughout its wide range has numerous causes including agricultural development and mining. This is not thought to pose a major threat across the species' range.

No information on any use or trade is available.

It is known from many protected areas including the Ziama Forest and Mt Nimba protected areas in Guinea (Böhme et al. 2011), Taï National Park (Rödel and Mahsberg 2000) and Haute Dodo Forest Reserve (Branch and Rödel 2003) in Côte d'Ivoire, Budongo and Kibale National Parks in Uganda, and Mahale and Udzungwa National Parks in Tanzania.