Colubridae
Spilotes megalolepis
HarmlessThis species has no widely used English common name.
Spilotes megalolepis is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family, recorded in 2 countries.
- Family
- Colubridae
About the Spilotes megalolepis
The Spilotes megalolepis belongs to the Colubridae family, colubrids. The largest snake family, and the one most snakes you meet belong to.
Colubridae is by far the biggest family of snakes, with roughly two thousand species worldwide. It is a catch-all of mostly slender, agile, day-active snakes: ratsnakes, kingsnakes, gartersnakes, watersnakes, racers, whipsnakes, and hundreds more. The vast majority are harmless to people and kill prey by grabbing or constricting rather than with venom.
Its genus, Spilotes, covers tropical rat snakes. Big, fast, alert daytime hunters of the American tropics that defend themselves with bluff and a wide gaping mouth rather than venom.
The Spilotes megalolepis 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 Ecuador and Colombia.
Field-guide summary compiled from taxonomy and verified occurrence records. Detailed natural-history notes for this species are still being added.
Frequently asked: Spilotes megalolepis
- Is the Spilotes megalolepis venomous?
- No. The Spilotes megalolepis 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 Spilotes megalolepis poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Spilotes megalolepis is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Spilotes megalolepis dangerous?
- The Spilotes megalolepis is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Spilotes megalolepis live?
- The Spilotes megalolepis has verified records in 2 countries, including Ecuador, Colombia. See the distribution section below for its full range.
Where it is found
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
- Spilotes
- SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name
- Spilotes megalolepis
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. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.