Is the Boddaert's Tropical Racer venomous?

No. The Boddaert's Tropical Racer (Mastigodryas boddaerti) 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 Boddaert's Tropical Racer poisonous?

Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Boddaert's Tropical Racer is neither poisonous nor venomous.

Is the Boddaert's Tropical Racer dangerous?

The Boddaert's Tropical Racer is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.

Where does the Boddaert's Tropical Racer live?

The Boddaert's Tropical Racer has verified records in 23 countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of). See the distribution section below for its full range.

Colubridae

Boddaert's Tropical Racer

Harmless

Mastigodryas boddaerti

Boddaert's Tropical Racer — Mastigodryas boddaerti, © Raquel Mondino

6 photographs of the Boddaert's Tropical Racer. © Raquel Mondino.

The Boddaert's Tropical Racer (Mastigodryas boddaerti) is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family, recorded in 23 countries.

Family: Colubridae

About the Boddaert's Tropical Racer

Mastigodryas boddaerti, commonly known as Boddaert's tropical racer, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to tropical South America including Trinidad and Tobago.

Distribution

M. boddaerti occurs in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of M. boddaerti is forest, at altitudes of 24–2,600 m (79–8,530 ft).

Description

M. boddaerti changes coloration ontogenetically. Juveniles from Guyana have a brown dorsum with grayish tan bands, with white spots ventrolaterally on anterior ends of the tan bands. The chin and throat are white, with dark brown irregular spots. The venter is tan-colored. Adults are nearly uniform brown dorsally, with traces of bands anteriorly. There is a lateral light tan stripe on the anterior half of the body. The venter is light gray with darker gray smudges on the throat. Individuals from Brazilian Amazonas measured up to 109 centimetres (3 ft 7 in) in snout–vent length.

Behavior

M. boddaerti is diurnal and mainly terrestrial, but it will occasionally climb low vegetation.

Diet

M. boddaerti feeds on young birds, lizards, and mice. Specimens from Brazilian Amazonas fed mostly on lizards, followed by mammals and frogs.

Reproduction

M. boddaerti is oviparous.

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies.

Mastigodryas boddaerti boddaerti (Sentzen, 1796)

Mastigodryas boddaerti dunni (Stuart, 1933)

Mastigodryas boddaerti ruthveni (Stuart, 1933)

Etymology

The specific name, boddaerti, is in honor of Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert. The subspecific names, dunni and ruthveni, are in honor of American herpetologists Emmett Reid Dunn and Alexander G. Ruthven, respectively.

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Boddaert's Tropical Racer

Is the Boddaert's Tropical Racer venomous?: No. The Boddaert's Tropical Racer (Mastigodryas boddaerti) 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 Boddaert's Tropical Racer poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Boddaert's Tropical Racer is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Boddaert's Tropical Racer dangerous?: The Boddaert's Tropical Racer is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Where does the Boddaert's Tropical Racer live?: The Boddaert's Tropical Racer has verified records in 23 countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of). See the distribution section below for its full range.
What does the Boddaert's Tropical Racer eat?: M. boddaerti feeds on young birds, lizards, and mice. Specimens from Brazilian Amazonas fed mostly on lizards, followed by mammals and frogs.
Why is it called the Boddaert's Tropical Racer?: The specific name, boddaerti, is in honor of Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert. The subspecific names, dunni and ruthveni, are in honor of American herpetologists Emmett Reid Dunn and Alexander G. Ruthven, respectively.

More Colubridae 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: Colubridae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Mastigodryas
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Mastigodryas boddaerti

Keep learning

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