Is the Forskal Sand Snake venomous?

The Forskal Sand Snake (Psammophis schokari) is rear-fanged and only mildly venomous. It is not considered dangerous to humans (its venom is weak and its fangs sit at the back of the mouth) but a bite can cause local swelling or irritation, so it should not be handled.

Is the Forskal Sand Snake poisonous?

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

Is the Forskal Sand Snake dangerous?

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

Where does the Forskal Sand Snake live?

The Forskal Sand Snake has verified records in 43 countries, including Israel, Morocco, Egypt. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Psammophiidae

Forskal Sand Snake

Harmless

Psammophis schokari

Forskal Sand Snake — Psammophis schokari, © Valentin Moser

3 photographs of the Forskal Sand Snake. © Valentin Moser.

The Forskal Sand Snake (Psammophis schokari) is a rear-fanged, mildly venomous snake in the Psammophiidae family, recorded in 43 countries.

Family: Psammophiidae

About the Forskal Sand Snake

The Schokari sand racer or Forskal sand snake (Psammophis schokari) is a species of psammophiid snake found in parts of Asia and Africa. Psammophis aegyptius has at times been considered a subspecies of Psammophis schokari but is presently considered a full species. Many people refer to snakes in the genus Psammophis as colubrids, but this is now known to be incorrect — they were once classified in the Colubridae, but our more sophisticated understanding of the relationships among the groups of snakes has led herpetologists to reclassify Psammophis and its relatives into Lamprophiidae, a family more closely related to Elapidae than to Colubridae.

Distribution

Northwest India, Afghanistan (Leviton 1959: 461), Pakistan, south Turkmenistan, Western Sahara, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Syria, kenya,

Iraq, Iran (Kavir oDesert), and Yemen.

Type locality: Yemen.

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Forskal Sand Snake

Is the Forskal Sand Snake venomous?: The Forskal Sand Snake (Psammophis schokari) is rear-fanged and only mildly venomous. It is not considered dangerous to humans (its venom is weak and its fangs sit at the back of the mouth) but a bite can cause local swelling or irritation, so it should not be handled.
Is the Forskal Sand Snake poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Forskal Sand Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Forskal Sand Snake dangerous?: The Forskal Sand Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Where does the Forskal Sand Snake live?: The Forskal Sand Snake has verified records in 43 countries, including Israel, Morocco, Egypt. See the distribution section below for its full range.

More Psammophiidae 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: Psammophiidae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Psammophis
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Psammophis schokari

Keep learning

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