Geagras

Geagras is a monotypic genus in the family Colubridae, the largest and most varied family of snakes in the world. It contains just one recognized species, Geagras redimitus, commonly called the Tehuantepec striped snake. As a colubrid, it belongs to the same broad lineage as many of the world's familiar harmless ground and forest snakes, but it is a small, poorly studied animal that most people will never encounter. Its distinctness as its own genus reflects features of its anatomy that set it apart from related groups.

The species is endemic to Mexico, associated with the dry lowlands and forested slopes around the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the south of the country. Like many small colubrids of this region, it tends toward a secretive, ground-dwelling life, sheltering under leaf litter, logs, and surface debris rather than moving in the open. It is a slender snake with a patterned, often striped appearance, in keeping with the many small striped colubrids that hide in the soil and litter of warm habitats. Reliable field observations of it are scarce, so much of what is said about its habits is inferred from close relatives.

There is no evidence that Geagras poses any danger to people. Small ground colubrids of this kind are generally harmless to humans, feeding on small prey such as soft-bodied invertebrates or other tiny animals and reproducing, like most colubrids, by laying eggs. As a rule, leave any wild snake alone and observe it from a distance rather than handling it. If a bite from any snake ever causes worrying symptoms, treat it as an emergency and contact US Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or your local emergency services.