Is the Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic venomous?

No. The Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic (Erythrolamprus bizona) 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 Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic poisonous?

Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic is neither poisonous nor venomous.

Is the Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic dangerous?

The Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.

Colubridae

Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic

Harmless

Erythrolamprus bizona

Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic — Erythrolamprus bizona, © desertnaturalist

4 photographs of the Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic. © desertnaturalist.

The Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic (Erythrolamprus bizona) is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family.

Family: Colubridae

About the Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic

Erythrolamprus bizona, commonly known as the double-banded false coral snake, is a species of colubrid snake, which is found in northern South America and Central America.

Classification

Erythrolamprus bizona belongs to the genus Erythrolamprus, which contains over 50 species. The genus Erythrolamprus belongs to the subfamily Dipsadinae, which is sometimes referred to as the family Dipsadidae. The relationships of Erythrolamprus species located in northern South America (Venezuela) can be shown in the cladogram below, based on molecular DNA analysis:

Geographic range

It is found in Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, and on the island of Trinidad (in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago).

Mimicry

Similar in pattern to a coral snake, this species probably gains protection through mimicry.

Diet

It feeds mainly on other snakes.

Habitat

It is a forest dweller, often found in the leaf litter or burrowed in the soil in rain forests.

Symbiotic relationship

It burrows primarily near the Pouteria caimito, commonly known as the abiu, a tropical fruit tree, the nutrients of which supply the snake's clutch of eggs. In turn the tree is fertilized by the snake's urine and embryotic fluid.

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic

Is the Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic venomous?: No. The Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic (Erythrolamprus bizona) 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 Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic dangerous?: The Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
What does the Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic eat?: It feeds mainly on other snakes.

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: Erythrolamprus
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Erythrolamprus bizona

Keep learning

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