Which snake is the national animal of Mexico?

The golden eagle is the national animal represented in Mexico’s coat of arms, where it is shown holding a snake.

Mexico’s emblem depicts an eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus while gripping a serpent. The image appears at the centre of the national flag and draws on the founding story of Tenochtitlan. According to the traditional account, the Mexica were instructed to establish their city where they saw an eagle on a cactus.

The snake in the emblem is often described broadly as a serpent rather than being assigned one universally accepted species. For that reason, the canonical animal answer concerns the eagle, not a particular snake. The emblem’s symbolism has changed in artistic details over time, but the eagle, cactus, and serpent remain central elements.

The golden eagle is Aquila chrysaetos, a widespread raptor of the Northern Hemisphere. Mexico’s national emblem should not be confused with a claim that a specific snake species is the country’s national animal.