Boomslang
Dispholidus typus · Colubridae
Also called: Tree Snake
A slender, large-eyed tree snake with rear fangs and potent hemotoxic venom. Shy and reluctant to bite, but bites can be deadly with dangerously delayed symptoms.
What the Boomslang looks like
How to identify it
- 1Very large eyes and a short, blunt head
- 2Slender body; males often bright green, females brown
- 3Inflates its neck dramatically when threatened
- 4Lives almost entirely in trees and bushes
Snakes it's confused with
Boomslang's huge eyes and neck-inflating bluff are distinctive.
Behavior & danger to humans
Timid and avoids people, but its venom can cause fatal internal bleeding.
⚠️ Danger: Venomous with delayed, severe effects. Seek care even if you feel fine after a bite.
Related snakes
VenomousEastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus adamanteus
The largest venomous snake in North America and arguably the most dangerous. Its hemotoxic venom destroys tissue and blood cells, and a defensive bite is a medical emergency.
VenomousCopperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix
Responsible for more venomous snakebites than any other US species, but its bite is rarely fatal. Excellent camouflage in leaf litter leads to surprise encounters.
VenomousCottonmouth (Water Moccasin)
Agkistrodon piscivorus
A semi-aquatic pit viper named for the white interior of its mouth, which it gapes as a warning. The only venomous water snake in North America.
VenomousEastern Coral Snake
Micrurus fulvius
A relative of cobras with potent neurotoxic venom. Famous for the rhyme 'red touches yellow, kill a fellow' that separates it from harmless mimics.