Pareidae
Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake
HarmlessXylophis chenkaruppan
2 photographs of the Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake. (c) avrajjal, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).
The Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake (Xylophis chenkaruppan) is a non-venomous snake in the Pareidae family, recorded in 2 countries.
- Family
- Pareidae
About the Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake
The Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake belongs to the Pareidae family, slug-eating snakes. Snail and slug specialists with lopsided jaws.
Pareid snakes are slow, harmless, mostly nocturnal snakes that eat snails and slugs. Many have asymmetric jaws, with more teeth on one side, an adaptation for extracting snails from right-coiling shells.
Its genus, Xylophis, covers wood snakes. Xylophis are small, secretive, soil-dwelling snakes of southwestern India, harmless to people and almost never seen above ground.
The Wayanad Narrow-headed 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 India and Germany.
Field-guide summary compiled from taxonomy and verified occurrence records. Detailed natural-history notes for this species are still being added.
Frequently asked: Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake
- Is the Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake venomous?
- No. The Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake (Xylophis chenkaruppan) 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 Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake poisonous?
- Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
- Is the Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake dangerous?
- The Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
- Where does the Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake live?
- The Wayanad Narrow-headed Snake has verified records in 2 countries, including India, Germany. See the distribution section below for its full range.
Where it is found
More Pareidae snakes
Perrotet's Mountain SnakeXylophis perroteti
Captain’s Wood SnakeXylophis captaini
Anamalai Wood SnakeXylophis mosaicus
Günther's Mountain SnakeXylophis stenorhynchus
White-spotted slug snakePareas margaritophorus
Keeled Slug SnakePareas carinatus
Blunthead Slug SnakeAplopeltura boa
Atayal Slug-eating SnakePareas atayal
Classification
How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.
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.