List of snakes of Trinidad and Tobago



, Trinidad
Forty-seven species of snake have been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago, making the snake population of this area the most diverse in the Caribbean. Forty-four of these snake species are found in Trinidad and twenty-one in Tobago. Many of these species are South American, most of which are present in Venezuela. Trinidad and Tobago consists of two main islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and several smaller islands. The Bocas Islands, which lie between Trinidad and Venezuela, in the Bocas del Dragón, consist of Chacachacare, Monos, Huevos and Gaspar Grande. Several smaller islands lie off Trinidad, but snakes have been recorded on only one of them, Caledonia Island. Snakes have been recorded on one island off Tobago, Little Tobago. Four species are venomous: two coral snake species, the fer-de-lance and the South American bushmaster. The common coral is found on at least two of the Bocas Islands: Gaspar Grande and Monos. No venomous snakes inhabit Tobago.

Leptotyphlopidae

is a family of snakes found in North and South America, Africa, and Asia. All are fossorial and adapted to burrowing, feeding on ants and termites. One species has been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago.
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Leptotyphlops albifronsGround puppy

Typhlopidae

is a family of blind snakes found mostly in the tropical regions of Africa, Asia and the Americas. Three species have been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago.
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Helminthophis sp.Yellow-headed ground puppy
Amerotyphlops brongersmianusBrongersma's worm snake
Amerotyphlops trinitatusTrinidad burrowing snake

Aniliidae

is a monotypic family created for the monotypic genus Anilius, which means that there is only one species in the entire family. This species is A. scytale, found in South America.
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Anilus scytale scytaleBurrowing false coral; rouleau

Boidae

is a family of non-venomous snakes found in America, Africa, Europe, Asia and some Pacific Islands, containing the boas. Four species have been recorded in Trinidad and Tobago.
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Boa constrictor constrictorMacajuel, boa constrictor
Corallus ruschenbergeriiCascabel dormillon; Cook's tree boa
Epicrates cenchria maurusRainbow boa
Eunectes murinus gigasHuille, anaconda

Family Colubridae

is a family of snakes comprising about two thirds of all snake species on earth. Colubrid species are found on every continent, except Antarctica. Species from three subfamilies are found in Trinidad and Tobago.

Subfamily Xenodontinae

is a subfamily of snakes within the family Colubridae that includes mud snakes and New World hognose snakes.
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Clelia clelia cleliaBlack cribo, mussurana
Erythrolamprus aesculapiiFalse coral
Erythrolamprus bizonaFalse coral
Erythrolamprus ocellatusTobago false coral, red snake
Helicops angulatusWater mapepire, brown-banded water snake
Hydrops triangularis neglectusWater coral
Liophis cobellus cobellusMangrove snake, mangrove mapepire
Liophis melanotus nesosBeh belle chemin, doctor snake
Liophis reginae zweifeliHigh woods coral
Oxyrhopus petola petolaFalse coral
Pseudoboa neuwiediiRatonel
Siphlophis cervinusCheckerbelly
Thamnodynastes ramonriveroiStriped swamp snake
Tripanurgos compressusMapepire de fe, false coral

Subfamily Dipsadinae

Dipsadinae is a subfamily of snakes within the family Colubridae that includes cat-eyed snakes, night snakes, and black-striped snakes.
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Atractus trilineatusThree-lined ground snake?
Atractus cf. univittatusTobago one-lined snake
Dipsas variegata trinitatisSnail-eating snake
Imantodes cenchoa cenchoaMapepire corde violon, fiddle-string snake
Leptodeira annulata ashmeadiFalse mapepire, cat-eyed night snake
Ninia atrataRed-nape snake, ring neck snake
Sibon nebulata nebulataClouded snake

Subfamily Colubrinae

is the largest subfamily of colubrids, and includes rat snakes, king snakes, milk snakes, vine snakes and indigo snakes.
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Chironius carinatus carinatusMachete savane, yellow machete
Chironius multiventris septentrionalisLong-tailed machete savane
Chironius scurrulusSmooth machete savane
Drymarchon corais coraisYellow-tailed cribo
Leptophis ahaetulla coeruleodorusLora, parrot snake
Leptophis stimsoniGrey lora
Mastigodryas boddaerti boddaertiMachete couesse
Mastigodryas boddaerti dunniMachete couesse
Oxybelis aeneusHorsewhip
Pseustes poecilonotus polylepisDos cocorite
Pseustes sulphureus sulphureusYellow-bellied puffing snake
Spilotes pullatus pullatusTigre, tigro
Tantilla melanocephalaBlack-headed snake

Family Elapidae

is a family of venomous snakes found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Indian Ocean and the Pacific. Two species are found in Trinidad and Tobago.
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Micrurus lemniscatus diutiusCommon coral snake
Micrurus circinalisLarge coral snake

Family Viperidae

is a family of venomous snakes found all over the world, except for Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Madagascar, Hawaii and the Arctic Circle. All have relatively long hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom. Two species are found in Trinidad and Tobago.
SpeciesCommon nameTrinidadTobagoBocas Is.Other
Bothrops atroxMapepire balsain, fer-de-lance
Lachesis muta mutaMapepire zanana, mapepire z'ananas, bushmaster