Fitzinger's False Coral Snake

About the Fitzinger's False Coral Snake

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Fitzinger's False Coral Snake

Is the Fitzinger's False Coral Snake venomous?

No. The Fitzinger's False Coral Snake (Oxyrhopus fitzingeri) 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 Fitzinger's False Coral Snake poisonous?

Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Fitzinger's False Coral Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.

Is the Fitzinger's False Coral Snake dangerous?

The Fitzinger's False Coral Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.

Where does the Fitzinger's False Coral Snake live?

The Fitzinger's False Coral Snake has verified records in 4 countries, including Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Why is it called the Fitzinger's False Coral Snake?

The specific name, fitzingeri, is in honor of Austrian herpetologist Leopold Fitzinger. The subspecific name, frizzelli, is honor of the collectors of the holotype, Don L. Frizzell & Harriet E. Frizzell.

Where it is found

More Colubridae snakes

• 
  Forest Flame Snake
  Oxyrhopus petolarius
• 
  Guibe's Flame Snake
  Oxyrhopus guibei
• 
  Brazilian False Coral Snake
  Oxyrhopus trigeminus
• 
  Tschudi's False Coral Snake
  Oxyrhopus melanogenys
• 
  Amazon False Coral Snake
  Oxyrhopus rhombifer
• 
  Duméril's False Coral Snake
  Oxyrhopus clathratus
• 
  Yellow-headed Flame-Snake
  Oxyrhopus occipitalis
• 
  Impostor Flame-Snake
  Oxyrhopus vanidicus

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

Oxyrhopus

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

Oxyrhopus fitzingeri

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.