Is the Whyte's Water Snake venomous?

No. The Whyte's Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus whytii) 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 Whyte's Water Snake poisonous?

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

Is the Whyte's Water Snake dangerous?

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

Where does the Whyte's Water Snake live?

The Whyte's Water Snake has verified records in 5 countries, including Tanzania, United Republic of, Zimbabwe, Malawi. See the distribution section below for its full range.

Lamprophiidae

Whyte's Water Snake

Harmless

Lycodonomorphus whytii

2 photographs of the Whyte's Water Snake. (c) timoteo_b, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

The Whyte's Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus whytii) is a non-venomous snake in the Lamprophiidae family, recorded in 5 countries.

Family: Lamprophiidae

About the Whyte's Water Snake

The Whyte's 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 Whyte's 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, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and Eswatini.

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

Frequently asked: Whyte's Water Snake

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

Where it is found

Tanzania, United Republic of Zimbabwe Malawi Mozambique Eswatini

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 whytii

Keep learning

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