Brown-backed Blind Snake

About the Brown-backed Blind Snake

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Brown-backed Blind Snake

Is the Brown-backed Blind Snake venomous?

No. The Brown-backed Blind Snake (Antillotyphlops catapontus) 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 Brown-backed Blind Snake poisonous?

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

Is the Brown-backed Blind Snake dangerous?

The Brown-backed Blind Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.

Where does the Brown-backed Blind Snake live?

The Brown-backed Blind Snake has verified records in 2 countries, including Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (U.S.). See the distribution section below for its full range.

Where it is found

More Typhlopidae snakes

• 
  Puerto Rican White-tailed Blindsnake
  Antillotyphlops platycephalus
• 
  Puerto Rican Coastal Blindsnake
  Antillotyphlops hypomethes
• 
  Dominican Worm Snake
  Antillotyphlops dominicanus
• 
  Leeward Blindsnake
  Antillotyphlops geotomus
• 
  Montserrat Worm Snake
  Antillotyphlops monastus
• 
  Richard's Worm Snake
  Antillotyphlops richardii
• No photo
  Saint Barts Blindsnake
  Antillotyphlops annae
• No photo
  Mona Blind Snake
  Antillotyphlops monensis

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

Antillotyphlops

SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name

Antillotyphlops catapontus

Keep learning

• What to Do If You Find a SnakeFound a snake at home or on a trail? Here is how to stay calm, give it space, identify it safely, and know when to call a professional.
• Venomous vs Nonvenomous: How to Tell the DifferenceThe folk rules for telling venomous snakes apart, where each one fails, and why location-based identification beats guessing by sight.
• What Is a Snake? Anatomy and the BasicsA clear overview of what makes a snake a snake: limbless body plan, anatomy, evolution from lizards, species diversity, and why they are ectothermic.
• How to Keep Snakes Out of Your Yard and HomeA practical guide to keeping snakes out of your yard and home using habitat changes that work, plus what to skip and what to do if one shows up.