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Pseudoxyrhophiidae

Jan's Snake

Harmless

Elapotinus picteti

Jan's Snake
Elapotinus picteti, Kucharzewski, Christoph & Raselimanana, Achille Philippe & Wang-Claypool, Cynthia & Glaw, Frank / Wikimedia Commons

The Jan's Snake (Elapotinus picteti) is a non-venomous snake in the Pseudoxyrhophiidae family, recorded in 3 countries.

Family
Pseudoxyrhophiidae

About the Jan's Snake

Elapotinus is a monotypic genus created for the rear-fanged snake species, Elapotinus picteti. The species is endemic to Madagascar. It is also known commonly as Jan's snake in honor of Italian herpetologist Giorgio Jan. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Jan's Snake

Is the Jan's Snake venomous?
No. The Jan's Snake (Elapotinus picteti) 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 Jan's Snake poisonous?
Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Jan's Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Jan's Snake dangerous?
The Jan's Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Where does the Jan's Snake live?
The Jan's Snake has verified records in 3 countries, including Madagascar, France, India. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Where it is found

More Pseudoxyrhophiidae 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
Pseudoxyrhophiidae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species
Elapotinus
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
Elapotinus picteti

Keep learning

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