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Colubridae

Cope's Forest Racer

Harmless

Dendrophidion paucicarinatum

Cope's Forest Racer
Dendrophidion paucicarinatum, © Sam Eberhard
Cope's Forest Racer

2 photographs of the Cope's Forest Racer. © Sam Eberhard.

The Cope's Forest Racer (Dendrophidion paucicarinatum) is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family.

Family
Colubridae

About the Cope's Forest Racer

Dendrophidion paucicarinatum, commonly known as Cope's forest racer, is a snake of the colubrid family.

Diet

Cope's forest racers eat frogs.

Geographic distribution

The snake is found in Costa Rica and western Panama between altitudes of 1000 and 1600 meters.

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Cope's Forest Racer

Is the Cope's Forest Racer venomous?
No. The Cope's Forest Racer (Dendrophidion paucicarinatum) 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 Cope's Forest Racer poisonous?
Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Cope's Forest Racer is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Cope's Forest Racer dangerous?
The Cope's Forest Racer is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
What does the Cope's Forest Racer eat?
Cope's forest racers eat frogs.

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

Keep learning

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