Colubridae
Red-headed Forest Racer
HarmlessDendrophidion rufiterminorum
3 photographs of the Red-headed Forest Racer. (c) jmbird, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
The Red-headed Forest Racer (Dendrophidion rufiterminorum) is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family, recorded in 5 countries.
- Family
- Colubridae
About the Red-headed Forest Racer
Dendrophidion rufiterminorum is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Its known range is strikingly disjunct: it occurs in northern Central America (Belize, Guatemala, northern Honduras), then drops out across most of Honduras and Nicaragua, and reappears on the Caribbean versant of southern Nicaragua and Costa Rica plus the uplands of northwestern Costa Rica, a gap of several hundred kilometers with essentially no records in between.
Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.
Frequently asked: Red-headed Forest Racer
- Is the Red-headed Forest Racer venomous?
- No. The Red-headed Forest Racer (Dendrophidion rufiterminorum) 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 Red-headed Forest Racer poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Red-headed Forest Racer is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Red-headed Forest Racer dangerous?
- The Red-headed Forest Racer is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Red-headed Forest Racer live?
- The Red-headed Forest Racer has verified records in 5 countries, including Belize, Honduras, Guatemala. See the distribution section below for its full range.
Where it is found
More Colubridae snakes
Barred Forest RacerDendrophidion percarinatum
Clark's Forest RacerDendrophidion clarkii
Olive Forest RacerDendrophidion dendrophis
Forest RacerDendrophidion bivittatus
Günther's Forest RacerDendrophidion brunneum
Cadle's Forest RacerDendrophidion graciliverpa
Dendrophidion apharocybeDendrophidion apharocybe
Cope's Forest RacerDendrophidion paucicarinatum
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
- Dendrophidion
- SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
- Dendrophidion rufiterminorum
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.