Dipsadidae
Coastal House Snake
HarmlessMesotes strigatus
4 photographs of the Coastal House Snake. (c) Rocío Esmeralda Pose, some rights reserved (CC BY).
The Coastal House Snake (Mesotes strigatus) is a non-venomous snake in the Dipsadidae family, recorded in 3 countries.
- Family
- Dipsadidae
About the Coastal House Snake
The Coastal House Snake belongs to the Dipsadidae family, dipsadid snakes. A huge New-World group of mostly rear-fanged, mostly harmless snakes.
Dipsadids are an enormous, mainly Neotropical radiation that includes hognose snakes, snail-eaters, false coral snakes, and many more. Most are rear-fanged but harmless to people. (Many sources still file these snakes under Colubridae, so our family counts reflect that older arrangement.)
Its genus, Mesotes, covers coastal house snakes. Mesotes is a tiny South American genus of harmless coastal ground snakes in the vast Dipsadidae family.
The Coastal House Snake 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 Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay.
Field-guide summary compiled from taxonomy and verified occurrence records. Detailed natural-history notes for this species are still being added.
Frequently asked: Coastal House Snake
- Is the Coastal House Snake venomous?
- No. The Coastal House Snake (Mesotes strigatus) 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 Coastal House Snake poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Coastal House Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Coastal House Snake dangerous?
- The Coastal House Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Coastal House Snake live?
- The Coastal House Snake has verified records in 3 countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay. See the distribution section below for its full range.
Where it is found
More Dipsadidae 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
- Dipsadidae
- GenusA close-knit group of very similar species
- Mesotes
- SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
- Mesotes strigatus
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.