Is the Blackwater Mud Snake venomous?

No. The Blackwater Mud Snake (Phytolopsis punctata) is non-venomous and is not considered dangerous to humans. Like most snakes, it will retreat rather than bite when given the chance.

Is the Blackwater Mud Snake poisonous?

Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Blackwater Mud Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.

Is the Blackwater Mud Snake dangerous?

The Blackwater Mud Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.

Where does the Blackwater Mud Snake live?

The Blackwater Mud Snake has verified records in 4 countries, including Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Homalopsidae

Blackwater Mud Snake

Harmless

Phytolopsis punctata

Blackwater Mud Snake — Phytolopsis punctata, (c) Sebby Hammelev Sander, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

3 photographs of the Blackwater Mud Snake. (c) Sebby Hammelev Sander, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

The Blackwater Mud Snake (Phytolopsis punctata) is a non-venomous snake in the Homalopsidae family, recorded in 4 countries.

Family: Homalopsidae

About the Blackwater Mud Snake

The Blackwater Mud Snake belongs to the Homalopsidae family, mud & water snakes. Aquatic, mud-dwelling snakes with upward-facing eyes and nostrils.

Homalopsids are aquatic and semi-aquatic snakes of muddy waters, with valved nostrils and eyes set high on the head for life at the surface. Many are rear-fanged. They feed on fish, frogs, and crustaceans.

Its genus, Phytolopsis, covers mud snakes. A little-known aquatic mud snake of the southeast Asian wetlands, built for a life in murky water.

The Blackwater Mud Snake is non-venomous and harmless to people. Like most snakes it is a quiet predator that helps keep rodents and other small prey in check.

It has been recorded in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States of America.

Field-guide summary compiled from taxonomy and verified occurrence records. Detailed natural-history notes for this species are still being added.

Frequently asked: Blackwater Mud Snake

Is the Blackwater Mud Snake venomous?: No. The Blackwater Mud Snake (Phytolopsis punctata) is non-venomous and is not considered dangerous to humans. Like most snakes, it will retreat rather than bite when given the chance.
Is the Blackwater Mud Snake poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Blackwater Mud Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Blackwater Mud Snake dangerous?: The Blackwater Mud Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Where does the Blackwater Mud Snake live?: The Blackwater Mud Snake has verified records in 4 countries, including Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Where it is found

Indonesia Singapore Malaysia United States of America

More Homalopsidae snakes

Classification

How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.

OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards: Squamata
FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits: Homalopsidae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Phytolopsis
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Phytolopsis punctata

Keep learning

Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.