Elegant Worm Snake

About the Elegant Worm Snake

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Elegant Worm Snake

Is the Elegant Worm Snake venomous?

No. The Elegant Worm Snake (Afrotyphlops elegans) 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 Elegant Worm Snake poisonous?

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

Is the Elegant Worm Snake dangerous?

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

Where does the Elegant Worm Snake live?

The Elegant Worm Snake has verified records in 1 country, including Sao Tome and Principe. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Where it is found

More Typhlopidae snakes

• 
  Bibron's Blind Snake
  Afrotyphlops bibronii
• 
  Schlegel’s Beaked blind snake
  Afrotyphlops schlegelii
• 
  Zambezi Blind Snake
  Afrotyphlops dinga
• 
  Common Lined Worm Snake
  Afrotyphlops lineolatus
• 
  Fornasini's Blind Snake
  Afrotyphlops fornasinii
• 
  Slender Blind Snake
  Afrotyphlops obtusus
• 
  Schmidt’s blind-snake
  Afrotyphlops schmidti
• 
  Spotted Blind Snake
  Afrotyphlops punctatus

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

Typhlopidae

GenusA close-knit group of very similar species

Afrotyphlops

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

Afrotyphlops elegans

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.