Unsure what forum to post this in?
Yesterday, we had the water sprinkler on for about 20 minutes or so and saw an orange/red snake (solid colour) sliter across the grass then onto our walkway, before finally burrowing into some soil.
Sadly, I didn't have time to take a photo.
It was about 1.5 ft in length and looked like a huge earth worm. It moved fast.
Sorry for vague description, but does anyone know what type of snake this could be and if it is venomous?
Replies
Dr Julie...at the Snakes of Panama seminar said ANY snake here that has red is venomous.
My recollection is that Dr. Julie was referring to striped snakes such as corals or similar to corals, i.e., that a snake with red stripes is poisonous (although this discounts the harmless milk snakes). The poster says this snake was a solid color red/orange. The description of it appearing like a giant earthworm also mitigates against its being poisonous.
Folks need to remember that snakes have a vital function in the ecosystem and that most snakes are non-poisonous. And insofar as the coral snakes are concerned, you really have to go out of your way to be bitten by one. They don't strike but chew, so only by actually making contact with them are you likely to be in any danger. Even then, because their poison comes from teeth in the back of the mouth, it is difficult for them to get a grip on anything larger than a finger. If in doubt, just don't pick them up.
vital function to kill people if bitten. a good snake is a dead snake.
Your description does not match a coral snake or Fer de lance, so it is unlikely that it venomous. There are other types of vipers in Panama, but I wouldn't expect to see any of them in VE.
more likely a snake called a halloween snake or false coral, Google halloween snake.