Colubridae
Brown-banded watersnake
HarmlessHelicops angulatus
6 photographs of the Brown-banded watersnake. © Kristiina Hurme.
The Brown-banded watersnake (Helicops angulatus) is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family, recorded in 15 countries.
- Family
- Colubridae
About the Brown-banded watersnake
The brown-banded water snake (Helicops angulatus) is a species of aquatic snake found in tropical South America and Trinidad and Tobago. It is also known as the water mapepire.
Description
The brown-banded water snake grows to a maximum total length (including tail) of 78 cm (31 inches), although a female measuring 113 cm in has been reported in Bahia state, Brazil. Dorsally, it is olive or gray-brown, with dark brown, black-edged crossbands, which narrow at the sides, and are usually confluent with the black crossbands of the belly. There is a large dark rhomboid on the nape. Ventrally, it is yellowish (in alcohol) with black crossbands or black spots.
The dorsal scales are strongly keeled, even on the occiput and nape, and are arranged in 19 rows. Ventrals are 102–130 in number, the anal scale is divided, and the 61-94 subcaudals are paired and keeled.
Habitat and diet
H. angulatus lives in fresh and brackish water, where it feeds on fish (such as freshwater eels) and possibly also frogs (such as rusty tree frogs, map tree frogs, Manaus slender-legged tree frogs, Scinax ruber, Adenomera hylaedactyla, Rhinella margaritifera, and cane toads) and their eggs, tadpoles, lizards (such as Alopoglossus spp., and common stream lizards), earthworms (Glossoscolecidae), and carrion.
Reproduction
H. angulatus has been reported to be "facultatively viviparous".
Venom
H. angulatus is a non-front-fanged colubroid (NFFC), venomous snake, its venom causes rapid death in mice with an injection of 0.4 mg/kg (intraperitoneally).
There is an urgent need for training of the medical team in the snake identification, clinical management of snakebite, and the existence of a human-snake conflict involving NFFC species in Bolivia.
Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.
Frequently asked: Brown-banded watersnake
- Is the Brown-banded watersnake venomous?
- No. The Brown-banded watersnake (Helicops angulatus) 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-banded watersnake poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Brown-banded watersnake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Brown-banded watersnake dangerous?
- The Brown-banded watersnake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Brown-banded watersnake live?
- The Brown-banded watersnake has verified records in 15 countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Peru. See the distribution section below for its full range.
- What does the Brown-banded watersnake eat?
- H. angulatus lives in fresh and brackish water, where it feeds on fish (such as freshwater eels) and possibly also frogs (such as rusty tree frogs, map tree frogs, Manaus slender-legged tree frogs, Scinax ruber, Adenomera hylaedactyla, Rhinella margaritifera, and cane toads) and their eggs, tadpoles, lizards (such as Alopoglossus spp., and common stream lizards), earthworms (Glossoscolecidae), and carrion.
Where it is found
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
- Helicops
- SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
- Helicops angulatus
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.
Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.