Dipsadidae
Ocellated Pampas Snake
HarmlessTachymenis ocellata
4 photographs of the Ocellated Pampas Snake. no rights reserved.
The Ocellated Pampas Snake (Tachymenis ocellata) is a rear-fanged, mildly venomous snake in the Dipsadidae family, recorded in 1 country.
- Family
- Dipsadidae
About the Ocellated Pampas Snake
The Ocellated Pampas Snake belongs to the Dipsadidae family, dipsadid snakes. A huge New-World group of mostly rear-fanged, mostly harmless snakes.
Dipsadids are an enormous, mainly Neotropical radiation that includes hognose snakes, snail-eaters, false coral snakes, and many more. Most are rear-fanged but harmless to people. (Many sources still file these snakes under Colubridae, so our family counts reflect that older arrangement.)
Its genus, Tachymenis, covers slender snakes. Small, ground-dwelling South American snakes of the Dipsadidae, rear-fanged but not considered dangerous to people.
The Ocellated Pampas Snake is rear-fanged and only mildly venomous. It is not considered dangerous to people, but like any wild snake it is best observed from a distance and left undisturbed.
It has been recorded in Guatemala.
Field-guide summary compiled from taxonomy and verified occurrence records. Detailed natural-history notes for this species are still being added.
Frequently asked: Ocellated Pampas Snake
- Is the Ocellated Pampas Snake venomous?
- The Ocellated Pampas Snake (Tachymenis ocellata) is rear-fanged and only mildly venomous. It is not considered dangerous to humans (its venom is weak and its fangs sit at the back of the mouth) but a bite can cause local swelling or irritation, so it should not be handled.
- Is the Ocellated Pampas Snake poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Ocellated Pampas Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Ocellated Pampas Snake dangerous?
- The Ocellated Pampas Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Ocellated Pampas Snake live?
- The Ocellated Pampas Snake has verified records in 1 country, including Guatemala. See the distribution section below for its full range.
Where it is found
More Dipsadidae 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
- Dipsadidae
- GenusA close-knit group of very similar species
- Tachymenis
- SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
- Tachymenis ocellata
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. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.