It is closely related to four species of beaded lizards–one from Guatemala (Heloderma charlesbogerti), and three from Mexico (Heloderma alvarezi, Heloderma horridum, and Heloderma exasperatum).
Black-headed pythons are not an endangered species.
IUCN classifies those reptiles as least concern (LC). The exact population size is not known but they are often found in their environment, which may indicate their high abundance.
