Are there poisonous reptiles, snakes and insects, and dangerous animals in Belize?
Boris Mannsfeld - Boris Mannsfeld & Associates
We are in the tropics here in Belize, so of course, there are going to be some dangerous animals. We do have one poisonous snake here called the Fer-de-Lance, which lives mainly in the jungle. I have been in the jungle many times and I have never seen one. We have poisonous spiders, too but these dangerous animals are all in the jungle. People live at the beach, essentially, and those poisonous critters are up in the hills and in the jungles so we are still pretty safe. There...
We are in the tropics here in Belize, so of course, there are going to be some dangerous animals. We do have one poisonous snake here called the Fer-de-Lance, which lives mainly in the jungle. I have been in the jungle many times and I have never seen one. We have poisonous spiders, too but these dangerous animals are all in the jungle. People live at the beach, essentially, and those poisonous critters are up in the hills and in the jungles so we are still pretty safe. There are some snakes here at the beach, but they are not poisonous snakes like the Fer-de-Lance.
We do not really have a lot of sharks here (pictured) in Belize. I have been diving many times and occasionally I see a shark, but they are the small ones, which are around 5 feet long. I have not heard of any shark attack. We have crocodiles living out in certain areas of the river. The types of things that you have to be afraid of will be in areas that are not developed like in the jungle, rivers, so forth.
If you are looking for a crocodile, you can take a boat, which is about a 30-minute ride going out to the river and there you will see small crocodiles. The crocodiles are mainly there as a tourist amenity. It is something that you can go looking for as a tourist who wants to have fun here in Belize. But on the peninsula of Placencia, where I live, I have never seen a crocodile. I have not even heard that a crocodile was ever here in the peninsula.
We also have jaguars in Belize. We have a jaguar reserve in the jungle, which is about 45 minutes away from Placencia. It is a 120,000-acre national park where jaguars do inhabit. Jaguars are nocturnal so you really would not see them during the day. You will see their tracks every once in a while but I do not know of any cases where a jaguar attacked anybody.
Posted December 1, 2014
Rachel Jensen - Grand Baymen
There is a large variety of wildlife in Belize. Some are some poisonous (mostly found in the jungles of Belize) while others are harmless and absolutely beautiful.
There is a large variety of wildlife in Belize. Some are some poisonous (mostly found in the jungles of Belize) while others are harmless and absolutely beautiful.
Posted December 1, 2014
Christian Burn
There are some very dangerous snakes in Belize. We have the Fer-de-Lance, which is an incredibly deadly and poisonous snake. It has all the qualities you don’t want in a snake from being nocturnal, to highly aggressive, to territorial, and to the fact, that it can jump three times its body length. The Fer-de-Lance is not a friendly snake. However, they are only in the mainland.
We do get snakes here on the island of Ambergris Caye such as boa constrictors, which...
We do get snakes here on the island of Ambergris Caye such as boa constrictors, which...
There are some very dangerous snakes in Belize. We have the Fer-de-Lance, which is an incredibly deadly and poisonous snake. It has all the qualities you don’t want in a snake from being nocturnal, to highly aggressive, to territorial, and to the fact, that it can jump three times its body length. The Fer-de-Lance is not a friendly snake. However, they are only in the mainland.
We do get snakes here on the island of Ambergris Caye such as boa constrictors, which are pretty benign snakes. A boa is a snake that constricts and basically it suffocates its prey (small rodents), but boas are not like an anaconda that can take down a human. Boas are big snakes, but won’t hurt you. We also have the smaller snakes on Ambergris Caye like the garden snakes.
We have two different kinds of large scorpions on Ambergris Caye: the brown and the black scorpions (pictured). The larger the scorpions are, the less harmful they are. It is the small ones that you have to be very aware of. The big scorpions are just nasty. They won't kill you, but they will sting you just like bee sting, so it would be uncomfortable. Unless you are anaphylactic, you will not have any kind of adverse reaction.
We also have tarantulas here on the island. In fact, some woman was telling a story yesterday about how she entertains herself by watching tarantulas fight the crows. Apparently the crows go after the tarantulas and the tarantulas rear up and they jump at the crows. It’s a back and forth battle with the tarantula not being able to fly, but able to move really fast and jump at the birds that come and get them. I personally have never seen that, but it definitely sounds entertaining. The tarantulas are pretty gruesome-looking, but they are really pretty benign spiders. They are not really after people. People capture them and keep them as pets here.
As far as other creatures, we have the Portuguese Man O’ War, which tend to blossom in this warm part of the year, so we are seeing a lot of them and some wash up on the beach. I was walking the dog around September and we are kind of hopping around these little iridescent balloons on the turtle grass because it is not friendly if you step in one. Even if they are dead, they will still really sting you. I do not like walking barefoot when the Man O’ War are around.
That would be the extent of it. The most dangerous thing in Belize by far is the falling coconuts. If they hit you with direct impact, you’re dead. If you are sitting under a coconut tree you have to look up and see if there is a whole rack of coconuts above your head. If there are, that place is not always the safest place to stay to take a little nap.
We do get snakes here on the island of Ambergris Caye such as boa constrictors, which are pretty benign snakes. A boa is a snake that constricts and basically it suffocates its prey (small rodents), but boas are not like an anaconda that can take down a human. Boas are big snakes, but won’t hurt you. We also have the smaller snakes on Ambergris Caye like the garden snakes.
We have two different kinds of large scorpions on Ambergris Caye: the brown and the black scorpions (pictured). The larger the scorpions are, the less harmful they are. It is the small ones that you have to be very aware of. The big scorpions are just nasty. They won't kill you, but they will sting you just like bee sting, so it would be uncomfortable. Unless you are anaphylactic, you will not have any kind of adverse reaction.
We also have tarantulas here on the island. In fact, some woman was telling a story yesterday about how she entertains herself by watching tarantulas fight the crows. Apparently the crows go after the tarantulas and the tarantulas rear up and they jump at the crows. It’s a back and forth battle with the tarantula not being able to fly, but able to move really fast and jump at the birds that come and get them. I personally have never seen that, but it definitely sounds entertaining. The tarantulas are pretty gruesome-looking, but they are really pretty benign spiders. They are not really after people. People capture them and keep them as pets here.
As far as other creatures, we have the Portuguese Man O’ War, which tend to blossom in this warm part of the year, so we are seeing a lot of them and some wash up on the beach. I was walking the dog around September and we are kind of hopping around these little iridescent balloons on the turtle grass because it is not friendly if you step in one. Even if they are dead, they will still really sting you. I do not like walking barefoot when the Man O’ War are around.
That would be the extent of it. The most dangerous thing in Belize by far is the falling coconuts. If they hit you with direct impact, you’re dead. If you are sitting under a coconut tree you have to look up and see if there is a whole rack of coconuts above your head. If there are, that place is not always the safest place to stay to take a little nap.
Posted December 2, 2014
Macarena Rose - Rainforerst Realty
I came from Florida where there is the highly venomous coral snake. I was concerned about moving here with to Belize with ten animals (five cats and five dogs) that my animals were going to be in danger from venomous or big animals. There is a snake here in Belize called fer-de-lance, but it is very uncommon to see them. Case in point, I have been in the jungles and in corn fields up to my shoulders, and I have yet to ever see a...
I came from Florida where there is the highly venomous coral snake. I was concerned about moving here with to Belize with ten animals (five cats and five dogs) that my animals were going to be in danger from venomous or big animals. There is a snake here in Belize called fer-de-lance, but it is very uncommon to see them. Case in point, I have been in the jungles and in corn fields up to my shoulders, and I have yet to ever see a fer-de-lance. Thank God. I haven’t seen any snakes here other than the ones in the Belize Zoo.
As far as animals out in the wild, if you are out in the jungles, chances are you are going to be with someone who has a machete, or someone who will be prepared for something that might cross your path.
I have not ran into any wild pigs (pictured) or anything like that. There are monkeys in the trees and they are lovely, but they are not going to do anything to you. The birds are just gorgeous to see. So, no, you are not going run into a dangerous animal here in Belize.
Posted January 27, 2015
Chris Leonard - Paradise Found Belize Real Estate and Development
There are poisonous reptiles, snakes, insects and dangerous animals, like jaguars in Belize. Most animals shy away from human contact. But if you’re trudging through the rainforest, you would definitely want some bug repellant. And then there’s always the worry about snakes and anything similar. Machetes are common tools to carry with you when on an adventure. You would use it the same way as you would a baseball bat.Obviously, reptiles are a...
There are poisonous reptiles, snakes, insects and dangerous animals, like jaguars in Belize. Most animals shy away from human contact. But if you’re trudging through the rainforest, you would definitely want some bug repellant. And then there’s always the worry about snakes and anything similar. Machetes are common tools to carry with you when on an adventure. You would use it the same way as you would a baseball bat.Obviously, reptiles are a different story. There’s a refuge for alligators in central Belize and the few that we have encountered down there were small. We just notified the refuge, whose personnel came and hauled them off. They are treated humanely. Walking around town, you’re not going to run into any dangerous animals.
Dangerous animals are probably a concern for people who have houses out of town. I wouldn’t say that encountering poisonous reptiles, snakes and insects and dangerous animals would be a life threatening concern, but it is more of a heightened awareness concern. If you live near water, be mindful because there could be an alligator who wants to take refuge in your lake, pond or nearby stream at some point.
As for pet dogs, you have to worry about them getting eaten by a jaguar, if your house is outside of town. However, jaguars rarely attack people. For example, we have one jaguar near our property. It creeps around at night. We have people on site, but it has never approached them. It just walks around and enjoys the beautiful beachfront.
Alligators and snakes would more than likely attack you than jaguars. As for mosquitoes, you expect them in Belize, so it is best to have bug spray. In the day-to-day life of an expat living in Belize, these thing are very insignificant. The only issue is if you go out into the jungle.
Posted February 24, 2015
Shannon Davies - El Rey Hotel / Belize Travel Services
There are a couple of poisonous snakes here in Belize, but they don't mess with you if you don't mess with them. I have been in the rainforest many times in my life and I can count the number of times I have seen a snake, but I have never seen a poisonous snake, except at the zoo, and a dead one someone once showed me.We have a lot of beautiful and wild animals in the rainforest. I have seen some wild cats run across the highway, but I have never...
There are a couple of poisonous snakes here in Belize, but they don't mess with you if you don't mess with them. I have been in the rainforest many times in my life and I can count the number of times I have seen a snake, but I have never seen a poisonous snake, except at the zoo, and a dead one someone once showed me.We have a lot of beautiful and wild animals in the rainforest. I have seen some wild cats run across the highway, but I have never encountered any close up. I do know a couple of people who have seen jaguars and they said they just looked at people and then they walked away.
On Ambergris Caye, the wildest animal I have seen is a raccoon, but of course there are lots of beautiful creatures out on the reef.
(A white-nosed coati (a member of the raccoon family), pictured.)
Posted March 27, 2015
Jaseth Bassaragh - The Alpha & Omega Group
Yes,there are dangerous animals, reptiles, and insects in Belize. You could be stung by sandflies but those are not hazardous. They are irritating and they cause redness, swelling, and itchiness. In terms of being stung by a reptile, you would actually have to be more in a jungle area to experience that.If you are on the highways, for example, or if you are in close proximity to unclear brush, there could be a reptile there,but typically those kinds of creatures would be more...
Yes,there are dangerous animals, reptiles, and insects in Belize. You could be stung by sandflies but those are not hazardous. They are irritating and they cause redness, swelling, and itchiness. In terms of being stung by a reptile, you would actually have to be more in a jungle area to experience that.If you are on the highways, for example, or if you are in close proximity to unclear brush, there could be a reptile there,but typically those kinds of creatures would be more inland as opposed to the seacoast. That is because a lot of Belize is jungle. We have rainforests. But if you are on the highway, as I’ve seen with my own eyes, a snake just came out of the bush on the Western Highway and just stood up in front of the car in the middle of the road. There had been sightings of jaguars also in that area.
But you don’t have to worry about seeing these animals in Belize. You wouldn’t be on foot in any event. You would be in a motorized vehicle and it’s not as if they are going to prevent you from driving on the road. In places where expats normally live and go about their daily activities, this is not an issue at all.
(A grey fox in a tree in the Belizean jungle, pictured.)
Posted April 24, 2015
John Acott
There are venomous snakes in Belize, but not many. I’ve walked through the jungle, I’ve walked through the long grass, and I’ve never seen one. I’ve never heard of anyone being bitten by a snake. I guess they do but it’s very, very rare. There are more instances of people getting hit by a coconut falling on their head than getting bitten by a snake. I came here in 1978 with the air force but I’ve been living here...There are venomous snakes in Belize, but not many. I’ve walked through the jungle, I’ve walked through the long grass, and I’ve never seen one. I’ve never heard of anyone being bitten by a snake. I guess they do but it’s very, very rare. There are more instances of people getting hit by a coconut falling on their head than getting bitten by a snake. I came here in 1978 with the air force but I’ve been living here for 30 years. I go to the jungles all the time with clients and have no problems. When people want to buy some land, we’ll walk through it. My associate Tiffany goes as well and she just wears regular shoes to walk through the jungle and has had no problems at all.
There are tarantulas here in Belize. You’re not going to pick it up but if it does bite you, it’s not venomous. It can hurt you but I’ve never heard of anyone getting seriously injured by a tarantula. My ex-girlfriend’s son used to hold them in his hand and he never got hurt by one.
We have big cats in Belize but they are either in the zoo or deep in the jungle. We have jaguars but I’ve never seen one in the wild. Overall, it is pretty safe here in Belize.
(Pictured is a dome home in Belize Eco-Village.)
Posted May 29, 2015
Saira Mahabir - Century 21 Belize
We do have poisonous snakes here in Belize. The fer-de-lance is one of the most poisonous snakes and we have that here in Belize. Snakebites are really rare, however. You have to be deep in the jungle to encounter a snake. You will not find snakes where people live since snakes tend to stay in the jungle. If you do go to the jungle, you might see a snake or a jaguar, but we have not had any occurrences where they come out and attack people because the snakes and jaguars are scared of...We do have poisonous snakes here in Belize. The fer-de-lance is one of the most poisonous snakes and we have that here in Belize. Snakebites are really rare, however. You have to be deep in the jungle to encounter a snake. You will not find snakes where people live since snakes tend to stay in the jungle. If you do go to the jungle, you might see a snake or a jaguar, but we have not had any occurrences where they come out and attack people because the snakes and jaguars are scared of people. I have been living in Belize for 25 years and I hike a lot so I have seen a fer-de-lance in the jungle. They do not trouble you if you do not trouble them. Just keep walking. A friend of mine did the Victoria Peak climb. He went on a hike and went to swim in the river, and on his way back from the river, there was a fer-de-lance that bit him. He had to be airlifted so he could get the anti-venom.
We do have good medical aid for people who get bitten by snakes here in Belize so they could airlift you and get you the anti-venom.
But even if we do have poisonous snakes here, they won’t stop you from hiking. There are a lot of people here who go hiking all the time and have never seen a snake. A few people have seen snakes but they are snakes that are not venomous, such as tree snakes.
Belize has luscious jungles so the vegetation is thick and green and there are lots of animals. I have seen a jaguar before as well. It just ran away. They stay away from people as much as they can so they run. You are strange to their habitat so they run away. When we go hiking, we go with a group of people. I do not recommend going into the thick jungle all by yourself.
In the more populated areas, such as places where expats live, you wouldn’t find these dangerous animals. They are usually in the jungles. You will hardly ever find snakes in populated areas. Belize has a big jungle so the snakes do not have to go to the city.
(Group of students on spring break hiking in Belize, pictured.)
Posted August 21, 2015