Is the Common Brown Water Snake venomous?

No. The Common Brown Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus rufulus) 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 Common Brown Water Snake poisonous?

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

Is the Common Brown Water Snake dangerous?

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

Where does the Common Brown Water Snake live?

The Common Brown Water Snake has verified records in 8 countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Eswatini. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Lamprophiidae

Common Brown Water Snake

Harmless

Lycodonomorphus rufulus

Common Brown Water Snake — Lycodonomorphus rufulus, © flamelily

6 photographs of the Common Brown Water Snake. © flamelily.

The Common Brown Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus rufulus) is a non-venomous snake in the Lamprophiidae family, recorded in 8 countries.

Family: Lamprophiidae

About the Common Brown Water Snake

The common brown water snake (Lycodonomorphus rufulus) is a species of nonvenomous South African snake.

This gentle, harmless snake is by far the most common water snake in southern Africa. It can be found from Cape Town in the south, along the wet east coast of South Africa and inland as far as Gauteng, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe. Throughout its range, its natural habitat is water margins, where it shelters under leaves and logs. It emerges at night to hunt frogs and sometimes rodents. It lays up to 10 eggs at the end of summer.

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Common Brown Water Snake

Is the Common Brown Water Snake venomous?: No. The Common Brown Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus rufulus) 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 Common Brown Water Snake poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Common Brown Water Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Common Brown Water Snake dangerous?: The Common Brown Water Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Where does the Common Brown Water Snake live?: The Common Brown Water Snake has verified records in 8 countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Eswatini. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Where it is found

South Africa Zimbabwe Eswatini Lesotho Mozambique Malawi Congo, Democratic Republic of the Tanzania, United Republic of

More Lamprophiidae 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: Lamprophiidae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Lycodonomorphus
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Lycodonomorphus rufulus

Keep learning

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