Colubridae
Calamaria berezowskii
HarmlessThis species has no widely used English common name.
3 photographs of the Calamaria berezowskii. (c) hinanawi, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
Calamaria berezowskii is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family, recorded in 1 country.
- Family
- Colubridae
About the Calamaria berezowskii
The Calamaria berezowskii belongs to the Colubridae family, colubrids. The largest snake family, and the one most snakes you meet belong to.
Colubridae is by far the biggest family of snakes, with roughly two thousand species worldwide. It is a catch-all of mostly slender, agile, day-active snakes: ratsnakes, kingsnakes, gartersnakes, watersnakes, racers, whipsnakes, and hundreds more. The vast majority are harmless to people and kill prey by grabbing or constricting rather than with venom.
Its genus, Calamaria, covers reed snakes (dwarf snakes). Small, secretive burrowing snakes of Southeast Asia that spend almost their entire lives hidden in soil and leaf litter.
The Calamaria berezowskii 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 China.
Field-guide summary compiled from taxonomy and verified occurrence records. Detailed natural-history notes for this species are still being added.
Frequently asked: Calamaria berezowskii
- Is the Calamaria berezowskii venomous?
- No. The Calamaria berezowskii 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 Calamaria berezowskii poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Calamaria berezowskii is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Calamaria berezowskii dangerous?
- The Calamaria berezowskii is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Calamaria berezowskii live?
- The Calamaria berezowskii has verified records in 1 country, including China. See the distribution section below for its full range.
Where it is found
More Colubridae snakes
Pink-headed Reed SnakeCalamaria schlegeli
Collared Reed SnakeCalamaria pavimentata
Northern Reed SnakeCalamaria septentrionalis
Variable Reed SnakeCalamaria lumbricoidea
Schmidt's Reed SnakeCalamaria schmidti
Gervais' Worm SnakeCalamaria gervaisii
Lined Reed SnakeCalamaria griswoldi
Linne's Dwarf SnakeCalamaria linnaei
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
- Calamaria
- SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
- Calamaria berezowskii
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. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.