Is the Northern Tree Snake venomous?

No. The Northern Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis calligaster) 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 Tree Snake poisonous?

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

Is the Northern Tree Snake dangerous?

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

Where does the Northern Tree Snake live?

The Northern Tree Snake has verified records in 9 countries, including Papua New Guinea, Australia, Solomon Islands. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Colubridae

Northern Tree Snake

Harmless

Dendrelaphis calligaster

Northern Tree Snake — Dendrelaphis calligaster, © Ged Tranter

6 photographs of the Northern Tree Snake. © Ged Tranter.

The Northern Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis calligaster) is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family, recorded in 9 countries.

Family: Colubridae

About the Northern Tree Snake

Dendrelaphis calligaster, also called green tree snake, northern green tree-snake, and northern tree snake, is a colubrid snake native to New Guinea, Australia, and Solomon Islands. It is a slender, large-eyed, non-venomous, diurnal snake, which grows up to 1.2 m in length and is greenish, brown, or greyish above with a cream or yellow belly.

This common snake is harmless, and readily recognised due to its cream to yellow belly and pronounced wide dark facial stripe passing across the eye.

Etymology

The specific name calligaster means "beautiful-bellied".

Distribution and habitat

In Australia, Dendrelaphis calligaster are found on the eastern side of the Cape York Peninsula (Queensland) as far south as Mackay. On the western side, their range is poorly mapped. They also occur on many of the Torres Strait Islands. On the New Guinea mainland, they are widespread at elevations below 1,150 m (3,770 ft) in both Indonesian and Papua New Guinean parts of the island. They occur also on many nearby islands. The Reptile Database also lists this species from the Solomons.

Dendrelaphis calligaster is primarily arboreal but can also forage on the ground. It can be found in rainforest, mangroves, dense secondary regrowth, and tropical woodlands. It is abundant throughout its range.

Behaviour and ecology

They eat frogs and reptiles.

Breeding

The northern tree snake lays five to seven eggs in clutches, with one female recorded as laying 11 eggs in January.

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Northern Tree Snake

Is the Northern Tree Snake venomous?: No. The Northern Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis calligaster) 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 Tree Snake poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Northern Tree Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Northern Tree Snake dangerous?: The Northern Tree Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Where does the Northern Tree Snake live?: The Northern Tree Snake has verified records in 9 countries, including Papua New Guinea, Australia, Solomon Islands. See the distribution section below for its full range.
Why is it called the Northern Tree Snake?: The specific name calligaster means "beautiful-bellied".

Where it is found

Papua New Guinea Australia Solomon Islands Indonesia Palau India Namibia Pakistan Tonga

More Colubridae 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: Colubridae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Dendrelaphis
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Dendrelaphis calligaster

Keep learning

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