Types of file snakes

Mehelya is a small genus of African file snakes in the family Lamprophiidae, a large group of mostly African and Madagascan snakes that also includes house snakes, wolf snakes, and centipede eaters. Our database holds two members, the Western Forest File Snake and the Small-eyed File Snake. The genus name has long been tangled with the closely related genus Gonionotophis, and many sources treat file snakes across both names, so the boundaries here reflect ongoing taxonomic revision rather than settled lines. What stays consistent is the file snake body plan: heavily keeled scales and a distinctive ridge of skin along the backbone that gives these snakes a rough, file-like feel and a body that looks triangular in cross section.

These are snakes of sub-Saharan Africa, found across a band of forest, woodland, and moist savanna habitats depending on the species. The Western Forest File Snake leans toward forested and wetter environments in West and Central Africa, while file snakes as a group tend to be secretive, ground-dwelling, and often active at night. You recognize them in general terms by the loose, granular look of the skin, the pale line frequently running down the spine, and the matte rather than glossy appearance. They are not large, flashy snakes; most are slender, modest in length, and easy to overlook in leaf litter or under cover.

File snakes in this genus are non-venomous and harmless to people. They are constrictors that feed largely on other snakes and on small vertebrates, and some file snakes are notable for eating venomous species without apparent harm. They lay eggs rather than giving live birth. Because they pose no danger and play a useful role controlling other snakes, they are best left alone and observed, not handled. As with any wild animal, do not pick up a snake you cannot positively identify, and if a bite from an unknown snake breaks the skin, seek medical care and contact US Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or your local emergency services.