Is the Ghana Shovel-snout venomous?

No. The Ghana Shovel-snout (Prosymna meleagris) 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 Ghana Shovel-snout poisonous?

Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Ghana Shovel-snout is neither poisonous nor venomous.

Is the Ghana Shovel-snout dangerous?

The Ghana Shovel-snout is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.

Where does the Ghana Shovel-snout live?

The Ghana Shovel-snout has verified records in 20 countries, including Benin, Ghana, Nigeria. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Ghana Shovel-snout (Prosymna meleagris): Venomous? ID & Range

About the Ghana Shovel-snout

The Ghana Shovel-snout belongs to the Prosymnidae family, shovel-snout snakes. Burrowing African egg-eaters with a wedge-shaped snout.

Shovel-snout snakes are small fossorial snakes that use a sharp, shovel-like snout to dig and that specialize in eating reptile eggs underground. They are harmless and seldom seen.

Its genus, Prosymna, covers shovel-snout snakes. Small African burrowing snakes named for the hard, shovel-shaped snout they use to dig through soil after reptile eggs.

The Ghana Shovel-snout is non-venomous and harmless to people. Like most snakes it is a quiet predator that helps keep rodents and other small prey in check.

It has been recorded across 20 countries, including Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and South Sudan.

Field-guide summary compiled from taxonomy and verified occurrence records. Detailed natural-history notes for this species are still being added.

Frequently asked: Ghana Shovel-snout

Is the Ghana Shovel-snout venomous?: No. The Ghana Shovel-snout (Prosymna meleagris) 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 Ghana Shovel-snout poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Ghana Shovel-snout is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Ghana Shovel-snout dangerous?: The Ghana Shovel-snout is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Where does the Ghana Shovel-snout live?: The Ghana Shovel-snout has verified records in 20 countries, including Benin, Ghana, Nigeria. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Where it is found

Benin Ghana Nigeria Côte d’Ivoire South Sudan Cameroon Sudan Central African Republic Mali Chad Togo Burkina Faso Guinea Guinea-Bissau Niger Senegal Gambia Angola Sierra Leone Tanzania, United Republic of

More Prosymnidae 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: Prosymnidae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Prosymna
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Prosymna meleagris