Snakes are reptiles belonging to the order Squamata. His lower jaw is only held together by muscle and skin. This, together with the mobility of their skull, allows them to swallow large prey. Maybe that's one of the reasons some of us are so afraid of them.
Another suspicious characteristic of snakes is their venom. However, most are not poisonous and only attack if they feel threatened by our presence. Even so, it never hurts to know if a snake is poisonous or not. You want to know more? In this article on our site we talk about the types of non-venomous snakes and show you how to identify them.
How do you know if a snake is poisonous?
There are many types of snakes that exist, some with poison and others without. Nonvenomous snakes swallow their prey alive. Therefore, they specialize in hunting small animals, such as mice or insects. Other snakes may attack larger prey. To do this, they inoculate them with a poison that immobilizes or kills them. If they feel attacked, they can also use this poison to defend themselves against humans. But how do you know if a snake is poisonous?
The reality is that there is no method to know if a snake is poisonous, although there are certain characteristics that can give us a clue:
- Habits: Venomous snakes tend to be nocturnal, while non-venomous snakes tend to be diurnal.
- Fangs: Venomous snakes have hollow or grooved fangs in the front of the jaw. Its function is the injection of the poison. Nonvenomous snakes, however, do not usually have fangs and, if they do, they are later.
- Headshape: Venomous snakes often have triangular-shaped heads due to greater mobility of his skull. Non-venomous snakes, on the other hand, tend to have a more rounded one.
- Pupils: Nonvenomous snakes have round pupils. This part of the eye, however, is usually elliptical in venomous snakes.
- Thermoreceptor pits and neck: vipers, a very common family among venomous snakes, have a pit between the eyes and the nose which allows them to detect the heat of their prey. Also, his neck is narrower than the rest of his body.
In many cases, these rules are not followed. Therefore, we should never look only at these characteristics. The best way to know if a snake is poisonous or not is to know the different species in detail.
Discover the most poisonous snakes in the world in this other article.
Types of non-venomous snakes
More than 3000 species of snakes are known worldwide. Only 15% are venomous, so as you might imagine, there are many types of non-venomous snakes. That is why, in this article, we are going to focus on the most relevant species for the Spanish-speaking world. Thus, we will highlight the following types:
- Culebras
- Boas
- Bastard snake
Many people are looking for non-poisonous snakes to have at home, however, it is important to note that these animals require a lot of care and a fully equipped space. For this reason, it is not recommended to live with a snake, even if it is not poisonous, without having the knowledge to do so. Above all, we must bear in mind the well-being of the animal and the people who live in the home.
Snakes of the family Colubridae: snakes
Colloquially, all non-venomous snakes are called snakes. However, in biology, we call snakes the snakes of the family Colubridae.
The snakes are characterized by the arrangement of their scales, their circular pupils and a relatively small size. They often have olive or brown tones that help them camouflage. Most are diurnal, nonvenomous, and fangless. Of course, there are many exceptions to all of these features.
America Snakes
In South and Central America the genus Chironius is very abundant. The best known is the mountain whip snake (Chironius monticola), distributed throughout the Andes, and is part of the non-venomous snake species. It is a very aggressive tree snake, but harmless.
The snakes of the genus Apostolepis are also native to South America. They stand out for the intense red coloration of their body, which contrasts with the black and white bands on their heads. The tip of its tail is also black, giving it an unusual appearance among non-venomous snakes.
Another red snake is the well-known false coral (Lampropeltis triangulum). Its red body is crossed by black and white bands along its entire length. This coloration is very similar to that of coral snakes, which are poisonous and belong to the Elapidae family.
Spanish Snakes
In Spain, the Viper snake (Natrix Maura) stands out. This snake lives associated with aquatic environments and stands out for its defensive behavior. When threatened, its head becomes more triangular, it hisses and shows the patterns on its back. Its objective is that we confuse it with a viper, since its coloration is similar.
Other names of non-venomous snakes in Spain are la horseshoe snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis), la ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris) and the necklace snake (Natrix natrix).
Snakes of the Boidae family: boas or boids
Boas or boids are a group of species belonging to the Boidae family. Contrary to what many people think, these are non-venomous snakes. Poison is not necessary for them, as they kill their prey by strangulationTheir great size and strength allow them to compress their victims until they suffocate to death.
The ability to kill prey by strangulation allows boas to feed on very large animals. Many are even specialized in hunting large mammals such as deer or leopards.
The most outstanding species within this family is the Boa constrictor, a snake present in almost the entire American continent and which is part from the list of largest snakes in the world. It can measure up to four meters and its coloration is brown, green, red or yellow, depending on the habitat in which they camouflage.
Snakes of the family Lamprophiidae
The Lamprophiidae family comprises a large number of non-venomous snake species, many of them belonging to the African continent or endemic to Madagascar. However, there is a species with a great presence in Spain. It is the bastard snake (Malpolon monspessulanus).
Although this snake kills its prey thanks to the action of a poison, it is not dangerous for humans and, therefore, it is not considered poisonous. However, this snake can grow to be quite large, and when threatened, is quite aggressive If disturbed, it rears up like a cobra and hisses. For this reason, it is a species highly persecuted by human beings.
However, some of the bastard snake's favorite prey are voles (Microtus arvalis). These small mammals often become a pest that causes significant damage to crops. To prevent this from happening, respecting the presence of snakes is essential.
