Is the Selangor Mud Snake venomous?

No. The Selangor Mud Snake (Raclitia indica) 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 Selangor Mud Snake poisonous?

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

Is the Selangor Mud Snake dangerous?

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

Where does the Selangor Mud Snake live?

The Selangor Mud Snake has verified records in 3 countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, India. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Homalopsidae

Selangor Mud Snake

Harmless

Raclitia indica

Selangor Mud Snake — Raclitia indica, (c) Wong Kwang Ik, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

3 photographs of the Selangor Mud Snake. (c) Wong Kwang Ik, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

The Selangor Mud Snake (Raclitia indica) is a non-venomous snake in the Homalopsidae family, recorded in 3 countries.

Family: Homalopsidae

About the Selangor Mud Snake

The Selangor Mud Snake belongs to the Homalopsidae family, mud & water snakes. Aquatic, mud-dwelling snakes with upward-facing eyes and nostrils.

Homalopsids are aquatic and semi-aquatic snakes of muddy waters, with valved nostrils and eyes set high on the head for life at the surface. Many are rear-fanged. They feed on fish, frogs, and crustaceans.

Its genus, Raclitia, covers Selangor mud snake. A rare, secretive mud snake from Peninsular Malaysia known from very few specimens, part of the rear-fanged Homalopsidae water snakes.

The Selangor Mud Snake 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 in Malaysia, Singapore and India.

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

Frequently asked: Selangor Mud Snake

Is the Selangor Mud Snake venomous?: No. The Selangor Mud Snake (Raclitia indica) 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 Selangor Mud Snake poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Selangor Mud Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Selangor Mud Snake dangerous?: The Selangor Mud Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Where does the Selangor Mud Snake live?: The Selangor Mud Snake has verified records in 3 countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, India. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Where it is found

Malaysia Singapore India

More Homalopsidae 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: Homalopsidae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Raclitia
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Raclitia indica

Keep learning

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