Is the Brongersma's Worm Snake venomous?

No. The Brongersma's Worm Snake (Amerotyphlops brongersmianus) 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 Brongersma's Worm Snake poisonous?

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

Is the Brongersma's Worm Snake dangerous?

The Brongersma's Worm Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.

Where does the Brongersma's Worm Snake live?

The Brongersma's Worm Snake has verified records in 10 countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia (Plurinational State of). See the distribution section below for its full range.

Typhlopidae

Brongersma's Worm Snake

Harmless

Amerotyphlops brongersmianus

Brongersma's Worm Snake — Amerotyphlops brongersmianus, © Gabriel Jovêncio Ribeiro

6 photographs of the Brongersma's Worm Snake. © Gabriel Jovêncio Ribeiro.

The Brongersma's Worm Snake (Amerotyphlops brongersmianus) is a non-venomous snake in the Typhlopidae family, recorded in 10 countries.

Family: Typhlopidae

About the Brongersma's Worm Snake

Amerotyphlops brongersmianus, known commonly as Brongersma's worm snake or the South American striped blindsnake, is a species of harmless blind snake in the family Typhlopidae. The species is native to South America and Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Etymology

The specific name, brongersmianus, is in honor of Dutch herpetologist Leo Brongersma.

Geographic range

A. brongersmianus is found in South America (and the Caribbean island of Trinidad) south through mainland South America (east of the Andes) as far as Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. In between it is also known to occur in Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay.

The type locality given is "Barra de Itaipe, Ilheus, Bahia [Salvador]", [Brazil].

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of A. brongersmianus are forest and savanna.

Description

A. brongersmianus may attain a total length (including tail) of 32.5 cm (12.8 in). It has 20 scale rows around the body. The number of dorsal scales from the rostral scale to the terminal spine is, on average, 232.

Diet

The diet of A. brongersmianus from a semideciduous forest in Central Brazil consisted of ants of all stages of development, while earlier studies also mention termites and unspecified insects.

Reproduction

The species A. brongersmianus is oviparous.

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Brongersma's Worm Snake

Is the Brongersma's Worm Snake venomous?: No. The Brongersma's Worm Snake (Amerotyphlops brongersmianus) 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 Brongersma's Worm Snake poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Brongersma's Worm Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Brongersma's Worm Snake dangerous?: The Brongersma's Worm Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Where does the Brongersma's Worm Snake live?: The Brongersma's Worm Snake has verified records in 10 countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia (Plurinational State of). See the distribution section below for its full range.
What does the Brongersma's Worm Snake eat?: The diet of A. brongersmianus from a semideciduous forest in Central Brazil consisted of ants of all stages of development, while earlier studies also mention termites and unspecified insects.
Why is it called the Brongersma's Worm Snake?: The specific name, brongersmianus, is in honor of Dutch herpetologist Leo Brongersma.

Where it is found

Brazil Argentina Bolivia (Plurinational State of)Paraguay Colombia Peru Suriname Trinidad and Tobago Guyana Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

More Typhlopidae 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: Typhlopidae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Amerotyphlops
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Amerotyphlops brongersmianus

Keep learning

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