Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW HOW DEADLY IS A MANGROVE SNAKE CAUSE PLACES LIKE XTREMEREPTILES HAVE THEM NOT LISTED UNDER VENI. SECTION BUT STRICTLY REPTILES HAVE THEM UNDER VEN. SECTION SO WHATS UP WITH THESE SNAKES DEADLY OR NOT

While Boiga venom is very toxic drop for drop, the minut amounts produced and introduced into a would during a bite make death a VERY unlikely occurrence. To my knowledge, there hasn't been a recorded death from B. dendrophila, or any Boiga, though there have been reports of serious envenomations by B. irregularis. Regardless, you would be one unlucky S.O.B. to die from one of these guys, but that doesn't mean you should treat them with any less respect than you would any other venomous snake. And yes, they are true rear-fanged venomous snakes.

Boiga is a venomous species....as such, they should be afforded the same respect as any other venomous species....While their venom apparatus is "primitive" every single person has different body chemistries, and as such some people are quite sensitive to animal venoms as a whole....

While generally regarded as a "medically insignificant" species, it is important to remember that both the boomslang and African twig snakes were also considered "sub-lethal" until they actually killed someone...

I won't get into venom composition here, (there are others much better at it here than I) but I will say that a bite certainly has the POTENTIAL to have serious consequences...(especially if one is hyper-sensitive to animal venoms and allows the animal to chew)....

For that reason, if you're planning on getting any Boiga species because a) you can and b) it's venomous, I'd advise against it....

They are fascinating animals, but not a species I'd recommend to a beginner...(not saying you are, as I don't know you....just a general statement.)

-AzAtrox

The question is one of legalities. In Florida the Mangove is legally a venomous snake. All florida dealers should have it listed as such. However, in other parts of the country the local authorities may not make that distinction.

As to reality.....Extremely Unlikely.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

I saw them listed as nonvenomous a while ago by a breeder in California. If I was to order one, and they shipped door to door, the shipment has to cross several states on its way to me. If they're considered venomous in one of those states would it still be illegal shipping even if California and my stste were to say it's OK? I saw that ad some time ago and just assumed it was illegal-I've even had people OFFER door to door on rattlers as well. Umm...NO