Psammophiidae
Grey-bellied Skaapsteker
HarmlessPsammophylax variabilis
3 photographs of the Grey-bellied Skaapsteker. © Marius Burger.
The Grey-bellied Skaapsteker (Psammophylax variabilis) is a non-venomous snake in the Psammophiidae family.
- Family
- Psammophiidae
About the Grey-bellied Skaapsteker
The Grey-bellied Skaapsteker belongs to the Psammophiidae family, sand & grass snakes. Fast, slender, day-active snakes of open country.
Psammophiids are alert, fast-moving snakes of grasslands and deserts, including the sand racers and the Montpellier snakes. Many are rear-fanged. They often raise the head to scan for prey and can move at surprising speed.
Its genus, Psammophylax, covers skaapstekers. African grassland snakes that are mildly venomous and rear-fanged, but pose little threat to people.
The Grey-bellied Skaapsteker 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.
Field-guide summary compiled from taxonomy and verified occurrence records. Detailed natural-history notes for this species are still being added.
Frequently asked: Grey-bellied Skaapsteker
- Is the Grey-bellied Skaapsteker venomous?
- No. The Grey-bellied Skaapsteker (Psammophylax variabilis) 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 Grey-bellied Skaapsteker poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Grey-bellied Skaapsteker is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Grey-bellied Skaapsteker dangerous?
- The Grey-bellied Skaapsteker is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
More Psammophiidae snakes
Rhombic SkaapstekerPsammophylax rhombeatus
Striped SkaapstekerPsammophylax tritaeniatus
Kenyan Striped SkaapstekerPsammophylax multisquamis
Angolan skaapstekerPsammophylax ocellatus
Western Montpellier SnakeMalpolon monspessulanus
Eastern Montpellier SnakeMalpolon insignitus
Stripe-bellied Sand SnakePsammophis subtaeniatus
Karoo Sand SnakePsammophis notostictus
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
- Psammophylax
- SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
- Psammophylax variabilis
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.
Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.