In short: Guatemala’s Health Ministry (MSPAS) counts 132 snake species, 22 venomous, 4 of them in the capital. A 2020 University of San Carlos (USAC) review counts 23 venomous species of medical importance: 15 vipers, 7 coral snakes and 1 sea snake. A national-records study cited by the review names Bothrops asper (locally barba amarilla), Crotalus simus (cascabel), Micrurus nigrocinctus and Atropoides mexicanus as the snakes behind the most recorded incidents. Bites cluster in Petén, Alta Verapaz, Quiché, Escuintla and Izabal. MSPAS’s advice if bitten: stay calm, wash, bandage, and go straight to the nearest health service. The toxicology line given in the MSPAS release (24 hours) and by USAC’s Toxicology Department is 1-801-0029832.
This page reports what Guatemala’s Health Ministry and USAC researchers publish. It is not medical advice. If someone is bitten, go to the nearest health service.
How many snakes, and how many are venomous
| Source | Snake species | Venomous |
|---|---|---|
| MSPAS release, 10 April 2023 | 132 | 22 (4 of them in Guatemala City) |
| USAC review, Ciencia, Tecnología y Salud 7(2), 2020 | About 138 | 23 of medical importance |
The MSPAS text reads: “se cuenta 132 especies de serpientes de las cuales 22 son venenosas, 4 se encuentran en la ciudad capital”. The two counts differ by one; we show both rather than pick.
The 23 species in the USAC review
The review groups them in two families.
| Family | Genus (species in Guatemala) | Species named in the review |
|---|---|---|
| Viperidae (vipers, pit vipers) | Bothrops (1) | Bothrops asper |
| Crotalus (2) | C. simus, C. tzabcan | |
| Agkistrodon (2) | A. bilineatus, A. russeolus | |
| Atropoides (3) | A. mexicanus, A. occiduus, A. olmec | |
| Bothriechis (4) | B. aurifer, B. bicolor, B. schlegelii, B. thalassinus | |
| Cerrophidion (1) | C. godmani | |
| Porthidium (2) | P. nasutum, P. ophryomegas | |
| Elapidae (coral snakes, sea snake) | Micrurus (7) | M. browni, M. diastema, M. elegans, M. hippocrepis, M. latifasciatus, M. nigrocinctus, M. stuarti |
| Hydrophis (1) | Hydrophis platurus (a sea snake; the review places it in the Pacific Ocean) |
The review says the vipers are the family of greatest medical importance “por la cantidad de accidentes que causan y la pronta acción de su veneno” (because of the number of accidents and the speed of their venom). For the sea snake it notes very few reports of bites to humans. Coral-snake bites are 1-2% of cases in Central America, citing Gutiérrez (2009).
Which snakes cause the bites
- National records (Letona, 2012, cited in the review): the snakes behind the most recorded incidents are B. asper, C. simus, M. nigrocinctus and A. mexicanus. Between 2001 and 2010 the National Epidemiology Centre (CNE) logged 7,377 snakebites; the review notes this undercounts, because many victims never reach a hospital.
- Hospital files 2008-2013 (Guerra-Centeno, 2016, cited in the review): of 305 files, B. asper was recorded most often at the Regional Hospital of San Benito, Petén, and C. simus at the Regional Hospital of Escuintla. None of the 305 had the species confirmed by an expert.
- Older local studies (1987-1993, cited in the review, which says of them: “en la mayoría de los casos fue reportada como desconocida la especie de la serpiente”): B. asper caused most bites in western Petén and Izabal; A. bilineatus (cantil de agua) around Amatitlán, Palín and San Vicente Pacaya, Chimaltenango, Santa Rosa and Sacatepéquez.
Bothrops asper is the snake Guatemalans call barba amarilla. A USAC Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy thesis lists its common names as barba amarilla, cantil boca dorada, terciopelo, cantil devanador, equis, nauyaca and i’kbolay, places it between 0 and 1,300 m above sea level, and says it is found mainly in Izabal, Alta Verapaz, Petén and isolated populations on the Pacific slope.
Where and to whom
| Item | What the 2020 USAC review reports |
|---|---|
| Departments with the highest incidence | Petén, Alta Verapaz, Quiché, Escuintla, Izabal |
| Bites per year | About 600 envenomings, incidence 4.2 per 100,000 a year (Gutiérrez, 2014) |
| Who | More men than women, mostly farmers; the most affected age group is 10-19 |
| Where on the body | Mainly the lower limbs |
| Time to hospital | Average 5.6 hours; the review calls the delay a risk factor for severity and death |
The MSPAS release gives a matching national figure from Dr. Erwin Castellanos, a clinical toxinology specialist at Hospital General San Juan de Dios: “Cada año se reportan alrededor de 600 mordeduras de serpientes y la población más afectada son las personas que trabajan en el sector agrícola y adolescentes” (about 600 bites are reported each year, mostly farm workers and adolescents). The same release says that hospital sees about 6 adult patients a month.
When: MSPAS says that “Durante la época de verano y después de las lluvias” running water carries snakes into populated places, which raises the risk of bites.
What MSPAS says to do
If bitten (MSPAS list, verbatim):
- “Mantenga la calma” (stay calm)
- “Lave la herida con agua y jabón, a pesar que sea doloroso” (wash the wound with soap and water, even though it hurts)
- “Coloque una venda en la herida” (put a bandage on the wound)
- “Lleve inmediatamente al servicio de salud más cercano para que determinen si es necesario suministrar antídoto” (go immediately to the nearest health service so they can decide whether antidote is needed)
MSPAS also says you can take a photo of the snake, and should avoid killing it.
Toxicology line. The MSPAS release gives 1-801-0029-832 as a 24-hour line where the patient or doctor can get help identifying the snake and deciding whether antidote is needed. USAC’s Toxicology Department lists the same number, 1-801-0029832, plus (502) 2230 0807, as its emergency numbers outside office hours; in person it attends Monday to Friday, 7:00 to 15:00.
To prevent bites (MSPAS): don’t go barefoot; wear leather leggings (polainas de cuero); don’t handle snakes.
Antivenom
- The treatment. The USAC review says the mainstay is intravenous antivenom, polyvalent for viper bites or anti-coral for coral-snake bites, and that intravenous antivenom is the only specific treatment that neutralises the poisoning.
- Where it comes from. As of 2020, the review says Guatemala does not produce antivenom; the government buys it from suppliers who import it from Argentina, Mexico and Costa Rica, at up to Q500 (US$62.50) per dose.
- A local antivenom in development. SENACYT, the national science secretariat, reported on 20 August 2025 that USAC veterinary researchers, with Fonacyt funding, are developing a Guatemalan antivenom; at that date the project was establishing the median lethal dose of native viper venom.
- Which hospitals stock it: we did not find a list from MSPAS on 1 October 2026.
Related health pages
Sources (read 1 October 2026)
- MSPAS release, 10 April 2023, “Existen 132 especies de serpientes, ¿sabe qué hacer al momento de sufrir una mordedura de serpiente?” (prensa.gob.gt)
- Wellmann, I. A. & Guerra-Centeno, D. (2020), “Envenenamientos por mordedura de serpiente en Guatemala: revisión de literatura”, Ciencia, Tecnología y Salud 7(2), USAC (revistas.usac.edu.gt)
- USAC, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacia, thesis on the proteolytic effect of Bothrops asper venom (biblioteca.usac.edu.gt, tesis 06_4270)
- USAC Departamento de Toxicología / CIAT page (edc-ccqqfar.usac.edu.gt)
- SENACYT, 20 August 2025, “Científicos desarrollan un suero antiofídico para Guatemala” (senacyt.gob.gt)
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there venomous snakes in Guatemala?
Yes. A Health Ministry (MSPAS) release of 10 April 2023 says Guatemala has 132 snake species, of which 22 are venomous and 4 are found in the capital. A 2020 literature review in USAC’s journal Ciencia, Tecnología y Salud counts about 138 species, of which 23 are venomous species of medical importance, in two families: vipers (Viperidae, 15 species) and coral snakes plus one sea snake (Elapidae, 8 species).
What is the most dangerous snake in Guatemala?
The sources we read rank by recorded bites, not by danger. The 2020 USAC review cites a study of national records naming Bothrops asper, Crotalus simus, Micrurus nigrocinctus and Atropoides mexicanus as the snakes behind the most recorded incidents. Bothrops asper (in Guatemala, barba amarilla) is described in a USAC thesis as the cause of most snakebite accidents in the country.
Where in Guatemala do most snakebites happen?
The 2020 USAC review names Petén, Alta Verapaz, Quiché, Escuintla and Izabal as the departments with the highest incidence. In hospital files from 2008-2013 it cites, Bothrops asper was the species recorded most often at the regional hospital in San Benito, Petén, and Crotalus simus at the regional hospital in Escuintla.
What should I do if a snake bites me in Guatemala?
The Health Ministry’s list: stay calm, wash the wound with soap and water even though it hurts, put a bandage on the wound, and go immediately to the nearest health service so staff can decide whether antidote (antivenom) is needed. MSPAS also says you can photograph the snake, and should avoid killing it. This page does not add first-aid steps beyond that list.
Is there antivenom in Guatemala?
The 2020 USAC review says Guatemala does not produce snake antivenom and the government buys it from suppliers that import it from Argentina, Mexico and Costa Rica. In August 2025 SENACYT reported that USAC researchers are developing a local antivenom, then at the lethal-dose testing stage. We did not find a Health Ministry list of which hospitals stock antivenom (searched 1 October 2026).
