Ryukyu Green Snake

About the Ryukyu Green Snake

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Ryukyu Green Snake

Is the Ryukyu Green Snake venomous?

No. The Ryukyu Green Snake (Ptyas semicarinata) 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 Ryukyu Green Snake poisonous?

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

Is the Ryukyu Green Snake dangerous?

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

More Colubridae snakes

• 
  Oriental Rat Snake
  Ptyas mucosa
• 
  Chinese Green Snake
  Ptyas major
• 
  Indo-Chinese Rat Snake
  Ptyas korros
• 
  Big-Eyed Ratsnake
  Ptyas dhumnades
• 
  Brown Rat Snake
  Ptyas fusca
• 
  Keeled Rat Snake
  Ptyas carinata
• 
  South China Green Snake
  Ptyas multicincta
• 
  Green Rat Snake
  Ptyas nigromarginata

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

Ptyas

SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name

Ptyas semicarinata

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.