False Water Cobra
Hydrodynastes gigas
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyColubridae (Colúbrids)
- GenusHydrodynastes
- SpeciesHydrodynastes gigas (False Water Cobra)
Hydrodynastes gigas is a New World species of large dipsadine snake endemic to South America. Aglyphous snake with enlarged posterior maxillary teeth, not grooved, associated with Duvernoy's gland secretions. endemic to South America. Common names include false cobra, false water cobra, South American water cobra, and Brazilian smooth snake. It is also sometimes referred to as boipevaçu, ñacaniná or yacaniná, from the Guarani ñakanina ('alert head'), mboi-peba, surucucu-do-pantanal, and víbora ladradora ('barking snake'). A mildly venomous species, the false water cobra is so named because when it is threatened, it "hoods" as a true cobra (genus Naja) does. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a False Water Cobra sighting in Iberá National Park, based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Iberá National Park
Wagler's Snake
Xenodon merremii
Jaeger's Ground Snake
Erythrolamprus jaegeri
Patagonian Racer
Philodryas patagoniensis
Rio Tropical Racer
Palusophis bifossatus
Golden Liophis
Erythrolamprus semiaureus
Leopard Keelback
Helicops leopardinus
False Mussurana
Boiruna maculata
Yellow-bellied Liophis
Erythrolamprus poecilogyrus
Lichtenstein's Green Racer
Philodryas olfersii
Equator Tree Snake
Dipsas turgida
Brazilian Green Racer
Philodryas aestiva
Amazon False Coral Snake
Oxyrhopus rhombifer
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iberá National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Anavilhanas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 4 | Madidi National Park | 🇧🇴 Bolivia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a False Water Cobra in Iberá National Park?
About 18% of wildlife watchers report a False Water Cobra sighting in Iberá National Park, based on 13 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see False Water Cobra in Iberá National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for False Water Cobra in Iberá National Park in our monthly data.