Is the Tanganyika Water Snake venomous?

No. The Tanganyika Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus bicolor) 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 Tanganyika Water Snake poisonous?

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

Is the Tanganyika Water Snake dangerous?

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

Lamprophiidae

Tanganyika Water Snake

Harmless

Lycodonomorphus bicolor

The Tanganyika Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus bicolor) is a non-venomous snake in the Lamprophiidae family, recorded in 5 countries.

Family: Lamprophiidae

About the Tanganyika Water Snake

The Tanganyika Water Snake belongs to the Lamprophiidae family, african house snakes & allies. Common African snakes, including the familiar house snakes.

Lamprophiids are a largely African family that includes the house snakes often found around dwellings, where they hunt rodents, plus wolf snakes and many others. Most are non-venomous or only mildly rear-fanged.

Its genus, Lycodonomorphus, covers African water snakes. African water snakes are harmless, semi-aquatic hunters of frogs and fish that live along streams, swamps, and lake edges across sub-Saharan Africa.

The Tanganyika Water 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 Tanzania, United Republic of, Zambia, Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Burundi and Zimbabwe.

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

Frequently asked: Tanganyika Water Snake

Is the Tanganyika Water Snake venomous?: No. The Tanganyika Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus bicolor) 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 Tanganyika Water Snake poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Tanganyika Water Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Tanganyika Water Snake dangerous?: The Tanganyika Water Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
Where does the Tanganyika Water Snake live?: The Tanganyika Water Snake has verified records in 5 countries, including Tanzania, United Republic of, Zambia, Congo, Democratic Republic of the. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Where it is found

Tanzania, United Republic of Zambia Congo, Democratic Republic of the Burundi Zimbabwe

More Lamprophiidae 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: Lamprophiidae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Lycodonomorphus
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Lycodonomorphus bicolor

Keep learning

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