Is the Northern Eyelash Boa venomous?

No. The Northern Eyelash Boa (Tropidophis boulengeri) 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 Northern Eyelash Boa poisonous?

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

Is the Northern Eyelash Boa dangerous?

The Northern Eyelash Boa is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.

Where does the Northern Eyelash Boa live?

The Northern Eyelash Boa has verified records in 18 countries, including Cuba, Bahamas, Dominican Republic. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Tropidophiidae

Northern Eyelash Boa

Harmless

Tropidophis boulengeri

Northern Eyelash Boa — Tropidophis boulengeri, no rights reserved

4 photographs of the Northern Eyelash Boa. no rights reserved.

The Northern Eyelash Boa (Tropidophis boulengeri) is a non-venomous snake in the Tropidophiidae family, recorded in 18 countries.

Family: Tropidophiidae

About the Northern Eyelash Boa

The Northern Eyelash Boa belongs to the Tropidophiidae family, dwarf boas. Small New-World boas that can bleed from the eyes when threatened.

Dwarf boas are small, harmless constrictors of the American tropics. Several have the startling defense of voluntarily bleeding from the mouth and eyes, alongside coiling into a ball and discharging musk.

Its genus, Tropidophis, covers dwarf boas (West Indian dwarf boas). Small, secretive New World snakes famous for a strange defense: they bleed from the eyes and mouth and play dead when threatened.

The Northern Eyelash Boa 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 18 countries, including Cuba, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Ecuador.

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

Frequently asked: Northern Eyelash Boa

Is the Northern Eyelash Boa venomous?: No. The Northern Eyelash Boa (Tropidophis boulengeri) 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 Northern Eyelash Boa poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Northern Eyelash Boa is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Northern Eyelash Boa dangerous?: The Northern Eyelash Boa is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Where does the Northern Eyelash Boa live?: The Northern Eyelash Boa has verified records in 18 countries, including Cuba, Bahamas, Dominican Republic. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Where it is found

Cuba Bahamas Dominican Republic Haiti Ecuador Cayman Islands Turks and Caicos Islands Jamaica Brazil Colombia United States Minor Outlying Islands Dominica United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Mexico Peru United States of America Argentina Trinidad and Tobago

More Tropidophiidae 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: Tropidophiidae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Tropidophis
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Tropidophis boulengeri

Keep learning

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