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ID of a small agressive snake from SE Brazil (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Widus
- Start date
k-rina
Well-known member
Hi Widus.
I can not identify your snake, but I can tell you this much : it is surely a nocturnal snake (only they have such big round eyes) and his aggressive behavior was because he was afraid/defending territory. Most of nocturnal snakes are venomous, but HUMANS ARE IMMUNE to their venom. So you were not in any danger, maybe just to get bitten but such a small snake can only deliver a slightly painful bite, and their venom has no effect on humans.
I can not identify your snake, but I can tell you this much : it is surely a nocturnal snake (only they have such big round eyes) and his aggressive behavior was because he was afraid/defending territory. Most of nocturnal snakes are venomous, but HUMANS ARE IMMUNE to their venom. So you were not in any danger, maybe just to get bitten but such a small snake can only deliver a slightly painful bite, and their venom has no effect on humans.
screaming piha
Well-known member
k-rina said:
Sounds to me like a dangerous set of assumptions about snakes and venom. There are plenty of dangerous small snakes and dangerous snakes with large eyes.
k-rina
Well-known member
Ofcourse, I am no expert ... but I like snakes and love to read/see documentaries about them ... and snakes are very "basic" beings, they have no smell, no hearing, no taste, and NOTHING else that they don`t vittaly need, so those eyes must belong to a nocturnal snake, as a diurnal snake will have no use for them. Plus, in Brazil there are only 4 types of venomous snakes : Bothrops, Crotalus, Lachesis, and Micrurus , and this guy looks nothing like them. Ofcourse, as I said, I am no expert so I could be wrong.
k-rina
Well-known member
Jacobson's organ is used to identify the particles in the air, but it does not have the function of smell and taste *as we understand it* (I like peaches, I don`t like orange-juice, I like the smell of flowers, I hate the smell of garbage). They don`t smell and taste food like mammels do.
k-rina said:
The 4 types you mentioned can be put into two families, Elapidae of which there are 22 species in Brazil all highly venomous. Viperidae of which there are 27 species in Brazil, again all highly venomous. So to say there are only 4 types, while correct, is a little misleading.
Ignacio
Well-known member
Hi Widus,
it looks like a young Tropical Racer (Masticodryas bifossatus). Adult specimens look quite different, not as brightly marked. The large eye is a common feature in young snakes in general and Colubrids in particular; it doesn't necessarily mean they're nocturnal. Young snakes also tend to be nervous and quite agressive.
This is an aglyphous snake, meaning it has no venom-injecting teeth. However, there are members of the Colubrid family that can be very dangerous, such as the African Boomslangs or Twig Snakes, both diurnal species with very large eyes. Indeed, recent studies (see www.jvat.org.br/full/c-1997/volume_...996/posters_61_80/n05-jvat_sbtx_poster_64.htm ) suggest certain neurotoxic components in these species' saliva. So, better to stay clear from an agressive snake, even if it's not a viper or a Coral Snake.
best regards,
it looks like a young Tropical Racer (Masticodryas bifossatus). Adult specimens look quite different, not as brightly marked. The large eye is a common feature in young snakes in general and Colubrids in particular; it doesn't necessarily mean they're nocturnal. Young snakes also tend to be nervous and quite agressive.
This is an aglyphous snake, meaning it has no venom-injecting teeth. However, there are members of the Colubrid family that can be very dangerous, such as the African Boomslangs or Twig Snakes, both diurnal species with very large eyes. Indeed, recent studies (see www.jvat.org.br/full/c-1997/volume_...996/posters_61_80/n05-jvat_sbtx_poster_64.htm ) suggest certain neurotoxic components in these species' saliva. So, better to stay clear from an agressive snake, even if it's not a viper or a Coral Snake.
best regards,
Papuan birder
- Lost in the Pacific -
Ignacio said:
I would also say it is some of the Masticodryas snakes, altough not convinced that it would be bifossatus, could be some other species.
cuckooroller
Registered User
Looks more like a juvenile Drymoluber to me.
Widus said:
Hey Widus, I am from the states so not to familiar with S. American species. I have a lot of experiance with US species and would have to say it is some sort of racer/whipsnake. The reason I say this is from the eyes, they are large. It looks like a juvinile, that will make the eyes even larger. Large eyes indicate a very active diurnal snake. Nocturnal species do not rely on sight as much so vision not as good. Also pupils are round, all venomous pit vipers have eliptycal pupils(cat eyes). Venomous coral snakes have round pupils but very bright and rich colors. Another thing to note about the coral snakes eyes are they are small and almost solid black. sometimes you can not even make out a pupil. There are rear fanged colubrids in SA but this is not one.
So my guess is a non venomous racer.
motacilla oenenthe
Well-known member
i was gonna say maybe young fer-de-lance, but then again im notsure they occur in brazil and im pretty much just guessing here
