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Cartoon of Boulenger's garter snake
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Boulenger's garter snake

Elapsoidea boulengeri
Cobras, mambas & kraits๐Ÿฆท Bites
Danger to people: PainfulIt can really hurt, but it is almost never serious.

Boulenger's garter snake belongs to the group: Cobras, mambas & kraits. It lives in: Africa.2

Lives in
Africa2
Length
55 cm (1.8 ft)2
typical adult size
Top speed
about 6.2 km/h (3.9 mph)
On land, rough guess

Venom power

Bites

Venom comes out through its fangs or teeth when it bites.

How dangerous is it to people?

Danger to people: PainfulIt can really hurt, but it is almost never serious.

๐Ÿš‘ If it bites or stings

  • Keep the person still and calm, remove rings and tight things, and get to a hospital fast: antivenom is the treatment.
  • If venom was spat into the eyes, rinse them with lots of clean water straight away.

Always call your emergency number first (112, 000, 911). This is general first aid guidance, not medical advice. First aid basics

โ›‘๏ธ Stay safe

  • Never touch, catch or tease a wild animal, even a small one, and even if it looks asleep or dead.
  • Give it space. If you meet one, stay calm, step back slowly and let it go its own way.
  • If one bites or stings you: stay calm, keep still, call your emergency number (112, 000, 911) or get to a hospital fast. Remember what it looked like, a photo helps.

It is not out to get you. It uses its venom to catch food or to protect itself, and it would much rather hide. More about staying safe

How big is it?

How long is it?

Boulenger's garter snake about 55 cm long (1.8 ft)๐ŸŒA banana about 18 cm (7.1 in)A house cat about 50 cm (1.6 ft)A dog about 1 m (3.3 ft)
as long as 3 bananas end to endas long as 17 toy building bricks in a rowcould cover 100 metres in 58 seconds (the fastest human needs 9.6)

How big is Boulenger's garter snake compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

How fast is it?

For venom experts

Scientific name
Elapsoidea boulengeri
Group
Cobras, mambas & kraits
Family
Elapidae1
Order
Squamata
Continents
Africa
Danger to people
2 / 5: Painful2

Where the facts come from

  1. Elapsoidea boulengeri (iNaturalist): names and classification.
  2. Venom Wiki: the danger level, the typical size and the speed guess are our own. See how we work them out: How we rate danger.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are animal fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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More from the same group: Cobras, mambas & kraits

Also lives in: Africa

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