Country guide
Snakes of Brazil
Brazil reports about 30,000 snakebites a year, and an average of 118 people a year died of snakebite from 2010 to 2024. Lanceheads (jararacas) cause about two-thirds of bites, while the South American rattlesnake (cascavel) causes fewer bites but more deaths per bite.
~30,000
snakebites reported a year (2010–2024 average)1
~118
snakebite deaths a year (2010–2024 average)1
67%
of reported snakebites in 2023 were by lanceheads2
If someone is bitten
Call now. Then go to hospital.
Antivenom is given in hospitals. Don’t wait for symptoms.
Australia
Australian first aid for snakebite uses a pressure immobilisation bandage and splint, and advises not washing the bite.
Bangladesh
A 2017 study noted that the Indian polyvalent antivenom used in Bangladesh is not made from the venoms of local species such as the monocled cobra, and it did not prevent local tissue damage from cobra bites.
Brazil
Antivenom is free in Brazil's public health system (SUS), but it is only given in hospital, at reference hospitals chosen by each state.
India
Indian polyvalent antivenom is raised against the 'Big Four' and may not neutralise some regional species, such as the monocellate cobra in the North-East and the hump-nosed pit viper in the south-west.
Indonesia
Indonesia's own antivenom, made by Bio Farma, is raised against only three species (Javan spitting cobra, banded krait and Malayan pit viper), so it may work poorly for bites by other snakes such as green pit vipers.
Kenya
Antivenom is usually stocked only at hospitals and some health centres, so people bitten in rural areas often need to be referred, and delays are common.
Mexico
Mexico's public health system uses two anti-viper antivenoms; one is made from the venoms of the terciopelo and the Mexican west coast rattlesnake.
Nepal
100 is the police emergency number; call 102 for an ambulance.
Nigeria
Antivenoms made from Nigerian snake venoms (EchiTAb G and EchiTAb-Plus-ICP) have proved effective in clinical trials, while some imported antivenoms made from non-African snake venoms have proved ineffective.
Pakistan
Rescue 1122 handles ambulance and fire emergencies; the police number is 15.
Philippines
The only antivenom made in the Philippines is Philippine Cobra Antivenom, raised against the Philippine cobra; there is no locally made antivenom for pit viper bites.
South Africa
112 works for all emergencies from a mobile phone; 10177 is ambulance and fire, and 10111 is police.
Sri Lanka
119 (or 118) is the police emergency number; call 1990 for an ambulance.
United States
For free, expert 24/7 advice you can also call Poison Help on 1-800-222-1222, but call 911 in an emergency.
Not listed? Call your local emergency number.
Harmless to people
Snakes that won’t hurt you
They may still bite if handled. Give every snake space.
Every species
All 418 snake species recorded in Brazil
5 have a full profile so far. The others are listed by family, without a venom status until they have a sourced profile.
Colubridae297
- Adelphostigma occipitalis
- Adelphostigma quadriocellata
- Amnesteophis melanauchen
- Amnisiophis amoenus
- Apostolepis adharaSão Salvador burrow-snake
- Apostolepis albicollaris
- Apostolepis arenariaSand dunes Blackhead
- Apostolepis assimilisCommon red Blackhead
- Apostolepis borellii
- Apostolepis cearensisCaatinga Blackhead
- Apostolepis christineae
- Apostolepis dimidiataCommon bilineate Blackhead
- Apostolepis flavotorquataCerrado Blackhead
- Apostolepis gaboiSand-dunes Blackhead
- Apostolepis goiasensisGoias Burrowing Snake
- Apostolepis intermediaKoslowsky’s Blackhead
- Apostolepis kikoi
- Apostolepis lineataHognose lineate Blackhead
- Apostolepis longicaudataPiauí Blackhead
- Apostolepis nelsonjorgei
- Apostolepis nigrolineataPará Blackhead
- Apostolepis nigroterminataPeru Burrowing Snake
- Apostolepis phillipsaePhillips’ Blackhead
- Apostolepis polylepisHawbeack Blackhead
- Apostolepis pymi
- Apostolepis quinquelineataGuyana Burrowing Snake
- Apostolepis quirogaiMisiones Blackhead
- Apostolepis rondoniRondônia Blackhead
- Apostolepis sanctaeritae
- Apostolepis serrana
- Apostolepis striata
- Apostolepis tenuisRuthven's Burrowing Snake
- Apostolepis thalesdelemai
- Apostolepis vittataBeaked Blackhead
- Atractus aboiporu
- Atractus akerios
- Atractus albuquerqueiAlbuquerque Ground Snake
- Atractus alphonsehogeiAlphonse's Ground Snake
- Atractus altagratiae
- Atractus boimirim
- Atractus caete
- Atractus caxiuana
- Atractus collarisCollared Ground Snake
- Atractus dapsilis
- Atractus edioi
- Atractus elapsBlack Ground Snake
- Atractus flammigerusFlaming Ground Snake
- Atractus francoi
- Atractus guentheriGünther's Ground Snake
- Atractus hoogmoedi
- Atractus insipidus
- Atractus latifronsBroadhead Ground Snake
- Atractus maculatusSpotted Ground Snake
- Atractus majorBig Ground Snake
- Atractus natans
- Atractus nawa
- Atractus pantostictus
- Atractus paraguayensis
- Atractus poeppigiBasin Ground Snake
- Atractus potschi
- Atractus reticulatusReticulate Ground Snake
- Atractus riveroiRivero's Ground Snake
- Atractus ronnie
- Atractus serranusSao Paulo Ground Snake
- Atractus snethlageae
- Atractus spinalis
- Atractus stygius
- Atractus surucucu
- Atractus tartarus
- Atractus thalesdelemai
- Atractus torquatusNeckband Ground Snake
- Atractus trefauti
- Atractus trihedrurusSouthern Ground Snake
- Atractus trilineatusThree-lined Ground Snake
- Atractus zebrinus
- Atractus zidokiZidok's Ground Snake
- Baliodryas steinbachi
- Boiruna maculataMussurana
- Boiruna sertaneja
- Caaeteboia amaraliAmaral's Ground Snake
- Caaeteboia gaeli
- Calamodontophis paucidensTropical Forest Snake
- Calamodontophis ronaldoi
- Cercophis auratusSchlegel's Golden Snake
- Chironius bicarinatusTwo-headed Sipo
- Chironius brazili
- Chironius carinatusWhipsnake
- Chironius cochranaeSouth American Sipo
- Chironius diamantina
- Chironius dracomaris
- Chironius flavolineatusBoettger's Sipo
- Chironius foveatusSouth American Sipo
- Chironius gouveaiGouvea’s Sipo
- Chironius laevicollisBrazilian Sipo
- Chironius maculoventrisCentral Sipo
- Chironius multiventrisSouth American Sipo
- Chironius quadricarinatusCentral Sipo
- Chironius scurrulaWagler's Sipo
- Chironius septentrionalisSouth American Sipo
- Chironius xaraes
- Chlorosoma dunupyana
- Chlorosoma laticeps
- Chlorosoma viridissimumCommon Green Racer
- Clelia hussami
- Clelia plumbea
- Coronelaps lepidusCrowned Burrowing Snake
- Dendrophidion atlanticaAtlantic Forest Racer
- Dibernardia affinis
- Dibernardia bilineata
- Dibernardia persimilis
- Dibernardia poecilopogon
- Dipsas albifronsSauvage's Snail-eater
- Dipsas alternansJan's Snail-eater
- Dipsas bothropoides
- Dipsas bucephalaNeotropical Snail-eater
- Dipsas catesbyiCatesby's Snail-eater
- Dipsas copei
- Dipsas indicaNeotropical Snail-eater
- Dipsas lavillai
- Dipsas mikanii
- Dipsas neuwiediNeuwied's Tree Snake
- Dipsas pavoninaNorthern Snail-eater
- Dipsas sazimai
- Dipsas turgida
- Dipsas variegataVariegated Snail-eater
- Ditaxodon taeniatusHensel's Snake
- Drepanoides anomalusBlack-collared Snake
- Drymarchon coraisYellow-tail Cribo
- Drymoluber braziliBrazilian Woodland Racer
- Drymoluber dichrousNorthern Woodland Racer
- Dryophylax almae
- Dryophylax chaquensis
- Dryophylax hypoconia
- Dryophylax nattereri
- Dryophylax phoenix
- Dryophylax ramonriveroiGuianan Coastal House Snake
- Echinanthera cephalomaculata
- Echinanthera cephalostriata
- Echinanthera cyanopleura
- Echinanthera melanostigma
- Echinanthera undulata
- Elapomorphus quinquelineatusRaddi's Lizard-eating Snake
- Elapomorphus wuchereriWucherer's Lizard-eating Snake
- Erythrolamprus aenigmaSavannah Racer Snake
- Erythrolamprus aesculapiiSouth American False Coralsnake
- Erythrolamprus almadensisAlmaden Ground Snake
- Erythrolamprus atraventerDixon's Ground Snake
- Erythrolamprus brevicepsShort Ground Snake
- Erythrolamprus carajasensis
- Erythrolamprus cobellaMangrove Snake
- Erythrolamprus dorsocorallinus
- Erythrolamprus frenatusSwamp Liophis
- Erythrolamprus jaegeriJaeger's Ground Snake
- Erythrolamprus macrosomus
- Erythrolamprus maryellenaeMaryellen's Ground Snake
- Erythrolamprus miliarisMilitary Ground Snake
- Erythrolamprus mossoroensis
- Erythrolamprus oligolepis
- Erythrolamprus poecilogyrus
- Erythrolamprus pygmaeusAmazon Tropical Forest Snake
- Erythrolamprus reginaeRoyal Ground Snake
- Erythrolamprus rochai
- Erythrolamprus semiaureus
- Erythrolamprus taeniogaster
- Erythrolamprus trebbaui
- Erythrolamprus viridisCrown Ground Snake
- Eutrachelophis papilio
- Gomesophis brasiliensisBrazilian Burrowing Snake
- Helicops acangussu
- Helicops angulatusBrown-banded watersnake
- Helicops apiaka
- Helicops boitata
- Helicops carinicaudusWied's Keelback
- Helicops gomesiSao Paulo Keelback
- Helicops hagmanniHagmann's Keelback
- Helicops infrataeniatus
- Helicops leopardinusLeopard Keelback
- Helicops modestusOlive Keelback
- Helicops nentur
- Helicops phantasma
- Helicops polylepisNorman's Keelback
- Helicops tapajonicus
- Helicops trivittatusEquatorial Keelback
- Helicops yacuPeru Keelback
- Hydrodynastes bicinctusHerrmann's Water Snake
- Hydrodynastes gigasFalse Water Cobra
- Hydrops caesurus
- Hydrops martiiAmazon Water Snake
- Hydrops triangularisTriangle Water Snake
- Imantodes cenchoaBlunthead Tree Snake
- Imantodes lentiferusAmazon Basin Tree Snake
- Leptodeira annulataBanded Cat-eyed Snake
- Leptodeira ashmeadiiBanded Cat-eyed Snake
- Leptodeira pulchriceps
- Leptodeira tarairiu
- Leptophis dibernardoi
- Leptophis liocercus
- Leptophis marginatus
- Leptophis mystacinus
- Leptophis nigromarginatus
- Lioheterophis iheringiIhering's Snake
- Lygophis anomalusGolden-belly snake
- Lygophis dilepisLema's Ground Snake
- Lygophis flavifrenatusFronted Ground Snake
- Lygophis meridionalis
- Lygophis paucidensHoge's Ground Snake
- Mastigodryas boddaertiBoddaert's Tropical Racer
- Mastigodryas moratoi
- Mastigodryas pleiiPlee's Tropical Racer
- Mesotes rutilusPrado's Coastal House Snake
- Mesotes strigatusCoastal House Snake
- Mussurana bicolorTwo-colored Mussurana
- Mussurana montana
- Mussurana quimi
- Ninia hudsoniGuiana Coffee Snake
- Oxyrhopus clathratusDuméril's False Coral Snake
- Oxyrhopus formosusFalse Coral Snake
- Oxyrhopus guibei
- Oxyrhopus melanogenysTschudi's False Coral Snake
- Oxyrhopus occipitalis
- Oxyrhopus rhombiferAmazon False Coral Snake
- Oxyrhopus trigeminusBrazilian False Coral Snake
- Oxyrhopus vanidicus
- Palusophis bifossatusRio Tropical Racer
- Paraphimophis rusticusCulebra
- Phalotris concolor
- Phalotris labiomaculatus
- Phalotris lativittatus
- Phalotris lemniscatusDumeril's Diadem Snake
- Phalotris matogrossensisMato Grosso Burrowing Snake
- Phalotris mertensi
- Phalotris multipunctatus
- Phalotris nasutus
- Phalotris reticulatus
- Phalotris spegazzinii
- Phalotris tricolorTricolored Burrowing Snake
- Philodryas aestivaBrazilian Green Racer
- Philodryas agassiziiBurrowing Night Snake
- Philodryas arnaldoiArnaldo's Green Racer
- Philodryas livida
- Philodryas mattogrossensisMiranda Green Racer
- Philodryas nattereriParaguay Green Racer
- Philodryas olfersiiLichtenstein's Green Racer
- Philodryas psammophideaGünther's Green Racer
- Philodryas pseudomambaSouth American dotted racer
- Phimophis gueriniArgentine Pampas Snake
- Phimophis guianensisTroschel's Pampas Snake
- Phrynonax sexcarinatusNortheastern Puffing Snake
- Pseudoboa haasiParaná False Boa
- Pseudoboa martinsi
- Pseudoboa nigraBlack False Boa
- Pseudoboa serrana
- Psomophis genimaculatusSpirit Ground Snake
- Psomophis joberti
- Psomophis obtususWide Ground Snake
- Ptychophis flavovirgatusFanged Water Snake
- Rhachidelus braziliBrazilian Bird Snake
- Rhinobothryum lentiginosumAmazon Banded Snake
- Rodriguesophis chui
- Rodriguesophis iglesiasiGomes' Pampas Snake
- Rodriguesophis scriptorcibatus
- Simophis rhinostomaSao Paulo False Coral Snake
- Siphlophis cervinusPanamanian Spotted Nightsnake
- Siphlophis compressusTropical Flat Snake
- Siphlophis leucocephalusCommon Spotted Night Snake
- Siphlophis longicaudatusBrazilian Spotted Night Snake
- Siphlophis pulcherGuanabara Spotted Night Snake
- Siphlophis worontzowiWorontzow's Spotted Night Snake
- Sordellina punctataDotted Brown Snake
- Spilotes sulphureusAmazon Puffing Snake
- Tachymenis ocellataOcellated Pampas Snake
- Taeniophallus brevirostrisShort-Nosed Groundsnake
- Taeniophallus nicagus
- Tantilla boipiranga
- Tantilla selmae
- Thamnodynastes longicaudus
- Thamnodynastes pallidus
- Thamnodynastes sertanejo
- Thamnodynastes silvai
- Tomodon dorsatusPampas Snake
- Tropidodryas serraSerra Snake
- Tropidodryas striaticepsJiboinha
- Xenodon dorbignyiSouth American Hognose Snake
- Xenodon guentheriGünther's False Fer-de-lance
- Xenodon histricusJan's Hognose Snake
- Xenodon matogrossensis
- Xenodon merremiiWagler's Snake
- Xenodon nattereri
- Xenodon neuwiediiNeuwied's False Fer-de-lance
- Xenodon pulcher
- Xenodon severusAmazon False Fer-de-lance
- Xenodon werneri
- Xenopholis undulatusJensen's Ground Snake
- Xenopholis werdingorum
- Xenoxybelis argenteusStriped Sharpnose Snake
- Xenoxybelis boulengeriSouthern Sharpnose Snake
- Zonateres lanei
Elapidae40
- Leptomicrurus collarisGuyana Blackback Coral Snake
- Leptomicrurus narducciiAndean Blackback Coral Snake
- Leptomicrurus scutiventrisPigmy black-backed coralsnake
- Micrurus albicinctusWhite-banded Coral Snake
- Micrurus altirostrisUruguayan coral snake
- Micrurus anibal
- Micrurus annellatus(Common) Annellated Coral Snake
- Micrurus averyiBlack-headed Coral Snake
- Micrurus boicoraBoicora Coral Snake
- Micrurus bonita
- Micrurus brasiliensisBrazilian short-tailed coral snake
- Micrurus carvalhoiBrazilian ribbon coral snake
- Micrurus corallinusPainted Coral Snake
- Micrurus decoratusDecorated coral snake
- Micrurus dianaDiana's Coral Snake
- Micrurus diutiusTrinidad Ribbon Coral Snake
- Micrurus filiformisThread coral snake
- Micrurus frontalisShort-tailed coral snake
- Micrurus hemprichiiHemprich's Coral Snake
- Micrurus ibibobocaIbiboboca
- Micrurus isozonusEqual-banded coral snake
- Micrurus janisrozei
- Micrurus langsdorffiLangsdorff's Coral Snake
- Micrurus lemniscatusSouth American Coral Snake
- Micrurus mipartitusRedtail Coral Snake
- Micrurus nattereriVenezuelan aquatic coral snake
- Micrurus obscurusBlack-neck Amazonian coral snake
- Micrurus ortoniWestern worm-eating coral snake
- Micrurus pacaraimaePacaraima coral snake
- Micrurus paraensisPara coral snake
- Micrurus potyguaraPotyguara coral snake
- Micrurus psychesCarib Coral Snake
- Micrurus putumayensisPutumayo Coral Snake
- Micrurus pyrrhocryptusArgentinian coral snake
- Micrurus remotusRemote coral snake
- Micrurus silviae
- Micrurus spixiiAmazon(ian) Coral Snake
- Micrurus surinamensisAquatic Coral Snake
- Micrurus tikuna
- Micrurus tricolorPantanal Coral Snake
Viperidae31
- Bothrocophias hyoproraHognose Lancehead
- Bothrocophias microphthalmus
- Bothrops alcatrazAlcatrazes lancehead
- Bothrops atroxcommon lancehead
- Bothrops bilineatusGreen Jararaca
- Bothrops braziliBrazil's Lancehead
- Bothrops erythromelasCaatinga Lancehead
- Bothrops fonsecaiFonseca's Lancehead
- Bothrops germanoiMoela’s lancehead
- Bothrops insularisGolden Lancehead
- Bothrops itapetiningaeSao Paulo Lancehead
- Bothrops jabrensisJabre’s Lancehead
- Bothrops jararacaJararaca
- Bothrops leucurusWhitetail Lancehead
- Bothrops lutzi
- Bothrops marajoensisMarajó Lancehead
- Bothrops marmoratusMarbled lancehead
- Bothrops mattogrossensis
- Bothrops moojeniBrazilian Lancehead
- Bothrops muriciensis
- Bothrops neuwiediJararaca Pintada
- Bothrops oligobalius
- Bothrops otavioi
- Bothrops pauloensis
- Bothrops pirajaiPiraja's Lancehead
- Bothrops pubescens
- Bothrops sazimaiFranceses island-Lancehead
- Bothrops taeniatusSpeckled Forest Pit Viper
- Crotalus durissusCascabel Rattlesnake
- Lachesis mutaSouth American Bushmaster
- Lachesis rhombeataAtlantic Forest bushmaster
Leptotyphlopidae19
- Epictia albifronsWagler's Blind Snake
- Epictia australisFreiberg's Blind Snake
- Epictia borapeliotes
- Epictia clinorostris
- Epictia munoaiRio Grande do Sul Blind Snake
- Epictia striatula
- Epictia vellardi
- Habrophallos collarisCollared Blind Snake
- Siagonodon cupinensisMato Grosso Blind Snake
- Siagonodon exiguum
- Siagonodon septemstriatusSeven-striped Blind Snake
- Trilepida acutirostris
- Trilepida brasiliensisBrazilian Blind Snake
- Trilepida dimidiataDainty Blind Snake
- Trilepida fuliginosa
- Trilepida jani
- Trilepida koppesiAmaral's Blind Snake
- Trilepida macrolepisBig-scaled Blind Snake
- Trilepida salgueiroiEspiritú Santo Blind Snake
Boidae11
- Boa constrictor
- Corallus batesii
- Corallus caninusEmerald Tree Boa
- Corallus cropanii
- Corallus hortulanaGarden Tree Boa
- Epicrates assisi
- Epicrates crassusParaguayan Rainbow Boa
- Epicrates maurusBrown Rainbow Boa
- Eunectes deschauenseeiDark-spotted Anaconda
- Eunectes murinusGreen Anaconda
- Eunectes notaeusYellow Anaconda
Typhlopidae10
- Amerotyphlops amoipira
- Amerotyphlops arenensis
- Amerotyphlops brongersmianusSouth American Striped Blindsnake
- Amerotyphlops caetanoi
- Amerotyphlops illusorium
- Amerotyphlops martis
- Amerotyphlops minuisquamusBasin Worm Snake
- Amerotyphlops montanum
- Amerotyphlops paucisquamusPernambuco Worm Snake
- Amerotyphlops yonenagaeYonenga Worm Snake
Anomalepididae7
- Liotyphlops caissara
- Liotyphlops schubartiSao Paulo Blind Snake
- Liotyphlops taylori
- Liotyphlops ternetziiTernetz's Blind Snake
- Liotyphlops trefauti
- Liotyphlops wilderiWilder's Blind Snake
- Typhlophis squamosusTrinidad Blind Snake
Tropidophiidae3
- Tropidophis grapiuna
- Tropidophis paucisquamisBrazilian Dwarf Boa
- Tropidophis preciosus
Source: Uetz, P. et al. (eds.), The Reptile Database, version 2026-06, via the Catalogue of Life (COL26.9). CC BY 4.0. Ranges in the source can be incomplete.
References
- 1
Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde e Ambiente (2025). Morbimortalidade causada por animais peçonhentos no Brasil, 2010–2024. Boletim Epidemiológico, número especial, 22 Dec 2025 (456,735 snakebites and 1,765 snakebite deaths in 15 years). gov.br
- 2
Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde e Ambiente (2024). Epidemiologia dos acidentes ofídicos no Brasil em 2023. Boletim Epidemiológico 55(15) (32,595 cases: Bothrops 66.9%, Crotalus 8.2%; case fatality 0.41% for Bothrops and 0.94% for Crotalus). gov.br




