Genus · Dipsadidae
Types of house snakes
2 species make up the genus Mesotes, the snakes commonly called house snakes. None are considered dangerous to humans.
About coastal house snakes
Mesotes is a tiny South American genus of harmless coastal ground snakes in the vast Dipsadidae family.
Mesotes is a small genus in the family Dipsadidae, the largest snake family in the Americas, which holds well 700+ species of mostly small, ground-dwelling colubrid-like snakes. Our database lists two species here, the Coastal House Snake and Prado's Coastal House Snake, both of which carry the plain-language name house snake because they tend to turn up in and around the low coastal habitats where people live. They are part of the South American dipsadid radiation rather than the African house snakes of the genus Boaedon, so the shared common name is a coincidence of habit, not close kinship.
Like most dipsadids, Mesotes snakes are slender, modestly sized terrestrial snakes built for moving through leaf litter, sandy soils, and ground cover. They are recognized in general terms by the smooth or lightly keeled scales, round pupils, and unremarkable patterning typical of small ground snakes, and they are best identified by locality and careful scale counts rather than by any single flashy field mark. As a genus tied to coastal lowlands, they are most likely encountered near the ground in warm, low-elevation settings.
These are harmless snakes to people. Many dipsadids are technically rear-fanged, with mild saliva used to subdue small prey such as amphibians, lizards, and invertebrates, and there is no evidence that Mesotes poses a medical danger to humans. Even so, no wild snake should be handled, and any bite that causes unexpected or worsening symptoms warrants a call to US Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or local emergency services. Like related ground snakes, they are egg-laying and secretive, spending most of their time hidden and active in mild conditions.
Mesotes belongs to the Dipsadidae family (Dipsadid snakes). A huge New-World group of mostly rear-fanged, mostly harmless snakes. Extremely variable; identified by genus and region rather than a single trait.
Danger: Mostly harmless; a few are rear-fanged with venom that can cause local symptoms.
All species (2)
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