How many types of poisonous snakes are there in Trinidad and Tobago?
There are more than sixty species of snakes in Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad has four venomous species. There are no venomous snakes in Tobago. What are the venomous snakes of Trinidad? The four species are the two Coral and the two Mapipire Snakes. Coral Snakes Large Coral – Micrurus lemniscatus diutius Small Coral – Micrurus circinalis Mapipire Snakes Bushmaster aka Mapipire z’anana Lachesis muta muta Fer-de-lance aka Mapipire balsain Bothrops atrox Coral snakes are usually easily recognized by their red, yellow/white, and black coloured banding. However, several nonvenomous species – including the False Coral – have similar colouration! Some persons may have been taught that “Red on yellow, kill a fellow; red on black, poison lack”. This is not true for the Trinidad species. Both banding patterns are poisonous. The mapipire have two elongated, upper maxillary teeth (fang), which can be unfolded from their resting position against the roof of the mouth, to their biting position, wher
