Types of striped snakes

Dromicodryas is a small genus of slender, terrestrial snakes endemic to Madagascar. It belongs to the family Pseudoxyrhophiidae, a large group of mostly Malagasy and African snakes that fills the ecological roles other regions assign to colubrids. The genus holds just two recognized species: Bernier's Striped Snake (Dromicodryas bernieri) and the Four-striped Snake (Dromicodryas quadrilineatus). Both are widespread within suitable Malagasy habitats and are among the snakes people most often encounter on the island.

As the common name suggests, these are agile, diurnal ground snakes marked with crisp longitudinal stripes running the length of the body, set against a brownish or grayish ground color. They are slim and quick, built for active foraging across leaf litter, grassland, and degraded or open country rather than for ambush. In general terms you recognize a Dromicodryas by the combination of a lean body, a clean striped pattern, and fast daytime movement on the ground. As with most snake identification, the species are best confirmed by an expert using locality and scale detail rather than by photo alone.

Like the great majority of Pseudoxyrhophiidae, these snakes are not dangerous to people. They are not front-fanged vipers or elapids, and they pose no serious medical threat. Some members of this family are rear-fanged with mild saliva that helps subdue small prey, so the prudent and standard advice for any wild snake is simple: do not handle it, observe from a distance, and leave it alone. If a bite from any wild snake ever causes symptoms beyond a minor scratch, contact emergency services or US Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Active foragers, they hunt small prey such as frogs, lizards, and invertebrates by day and, like other snakes in the family, reproduce by laying eggs.