Tag Archives: common Thailand snakes

herping snake hunting, Thailand Snake Journal

Snakes I’ve Found or Caught in Thailand

I thought I’d write up a list of Thailand snakes I’ve caught – just to try to keep track. Here’s a list of both venomous and non-venomous snakes I’ve caught (through 4/2017).

Thailand Snakes I’ve Found:

NEW SPECIES! I found a new Oligodon species that has not been named.

NEW SPECIES! I found another snake that I think is a new species. It is similar to a keelback, but thinner, longer. It was yellow with a white ring around the neck, about 70 cm in length around 400 meters elevation.

Venomous Species

King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah)

Monocled Cobra (Naja kaouthia)

Malayan Krait / Blue Krait (Bungarus candidus)

Mangrove Pit Viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus)

Wagler’s Pit Viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri)

Malayan Pit Viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma)

Beautiful Pit Viper (Trimeresurus venustus)

Trimeresurus fucatus

Red Necked Keelback (Rhabdophis subminiatus)

Red Headed Krait – (Bungarus flaviceps)

Small Spotted Coral Snake (Calliophis maculiceps)

Brown Long-glanded Coral Snake (Calliophis intestinalis)

Non-Venomous Species

Speckle-bellied Keelback (Rhabdophis chrysargos)

Green Keelback (Rhabdophis nigrocinctus)

Golden Kukri Snake (Oligodon cinereus)

Purple Kukri Snake (Oligodon purpurascens) both normal and red phase

Blood Python (Python Brongersmai)

Reticulated Python (Malayopython reticulatus)

Triangle Keelback (Xenochrophis trianguligerus)

Common Brown Keelback (Xenochrophis flavipunctatus)

Checkered Keelback (Xenochrophis piscator)

Striped Keelback (Amphiesma stolatum)

Big-eyed Mountain Keelback (Pseudoxenodon macrops)

Oriental Whip Snake (Ahaetulla prasina) green, yellow phases

Malayan Whip Snake (Ahaetulla mycterizans)

Malayan Banded Wolf Snake (Lycodon subcinctus)

Brown Whip Snake / Keel bellied Whip Snake (Dryophiops rubescens) in both brown and red phases.

Butler’s Wolf Snake (Lycodon butleri)

Common Wolf Snake (Lycodon capucinus)

Dusky Wolf Snake (Lepturophis albofuscus)

Laotian Wolf Snake (Lycodon laoensis)

Malayan Bridle Snake (Dryocalamus subannulatus) both phases – striped and blotched

Puff-Faced Water Snake (Homalopsis buccata)

Red Tailed Pipe Snake (Cylindrophis ruffus ruffus)

Sunbeam Snake (Xenopeltis unicolor)

Common Water Snake / Yellow Bellied Water Snake (Enhydris plumbea)

Golden Tree Snake (Chrysopelea ornata)

Paradise Tree Snake (Chrysopelea paradisi)

Blue Bronzeback Snake (Dendrelaphis cyanochloris)

Striped Bronzeback Snake (Dendrelaphis caudolineatus)

Common Bronzeback Snake (Dendrelaphis pictus)

Banded Bronzeback (Dendrelaphis striatus)

Copperheaded Racer | Radiated Rat Snake (Coelognathus radiata)

Malayan Racer (Coelognathus flavolineatus)

Red-tailed Racer (Gonyosoma oxycephalum)

Banded Cat Snake / Mangrove Cat Snake / Black Cat Snake (Boiga dendrophila)

Green Cat Snake (Boiga cyanea)

Dog-toothed Cat Snake (Boiga cynodon)

Common Mock Viper (Psammodyanstes pulverulentus)

Ridley’s Racer (Othriophis taeniurus ridleyi)

Indo-Chinese Rat Snake (Ptyas korros)

White-bellied Rat Snake (Ptyas fusca)

Oriental Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosus)

Keeled Rat Snake (Ptyas carinatus)

Brahminy Blind Snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus)

Common Bridle Snake (Dryocalamus davisonii)

Rainbow Water Snake (Enhydris enhydris)

Orange-bellied Snake (Gongylosoma baliodeirus)

DORs (Dead on Road)

I don’t count these, I have seen more species in addition those above.

60+ different snake species. Well, there are 150+ more out there – so I’d better get herping.

Just to make it crystal clear for those that need it. I catch the snakes and let them go in the same place I found them – in all cases except rescues where I am removing snakes from someone’s property, and they must be relocated. I release snakes I catch almost always within 24 hours. I release the snakes back to another suitable habitat.

If you want to come and find snakes in Thailand – give us an email:

We go primarily at night to herp for a couple reasons:

1. More herps.
2. Cooler weather.

Non-venomous, Thailand readers snake photos, Thailand Snake Notes, Venomous

Common Thailand Snakes | 2

Vern 75 Comments

[Last Updated: 15 August 2019]

More Common Thailand Snakes

When visiting Thailand on vacation or for a long-term stay there are certain snakes you are likely to see and others that you will probably never see, even if you’re looking very hard to find them. On this page is a selection of common (frequently found) snakes in Thailand. If you want a FREE EBOOK of COMMON THAILAND SNAKES in PDF format – CLICK HERE.

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Non-Venomous and Mildly Venomous and Harmless Snakes

Green Cat Snake (Boiga cyanea)

This snake is almost 2 meters long when fully grown, and resembling the vipers – except it’s too long to be a viper. Be very careful with any green snake as there are many vipers with strong venom that are green and look very similar to this one. Green vipers typically have brown colored tails. This snake has a solid green tail. The Green Cat Snake shown in the photo is harmless, and didn’t even try to bite as I interacted with it on my porch in Southern Thailand around midnight.

Juvenile Indo-Chinese rat snake from Thailand - common and harmless. — Indo-Chinese rat snake (Ptyas korros) juvenile. Harmless. When adult these snakes are either brown, grey (silver), or black.

Indo-Chinese Rat Snake (Ptyas korros)

One rat snake, the Indo-Chinese Rat Snake, is especially common, but the adult does look very much like the monocled cobras to the untrained eye. Do be very cautious of any snake that is solid brown, grey, black, or that is mostly dark with some white spots – speckles or odd pattern. Cobras are quick to bite and one of the most deadly daylight snakes you’ll encounter. There is a photo of the monocled cobra below.

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Red-tailed Racer (Gonyosoma oxycephalum)

This is a fairly large rat snake reaching around 2.1 meters in length. It has no fangs to deliver venom, and can be considered harmless for humans. It does bite, of course, so stay out of reach. This is an incredibly beautiful snake with green hues, blue-green eyes, and black and blue tongue. Stunning!

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Radiated Rat Snake - Copperhead Racer — Radiated Rat Snake – Coelognathus radiata. Harmless, but frequent biters when a person gets too close.

Radiated Rat Snake (Coelognathus radiata)

Copper-headed Racer – These are very common and may even qualify as one of the most commonly seen snakes in Thailand. Non-venomous and not dangerous, except they are big biters. Many small teeth. A bite can hurt and get infected because the teeth easily break off inside the skin. Color hue ranges from yellow to brown, There is another rat snake that looks very similar – the “Malayan Racer” which is very dark brown with a slightly different pattern (Coelognathus flavolineatus).

Yellow Spotted Keelback from Southern Thailand — Keelback snake from the Xenochrophis genus.

Keelback Snakes (Oligodon / Rhabdophis / Xenochrophis genera)

Keelbacks are very common ground snakes and love water. You might see them in the water or on the ground moving around. Keelbacks are generally easily identified by distinct black (dark) lines from the eye area toward the jaw. Most keelbacks in Thailand are not very dangerous, but there are a couple in the “Rhabdophis” genus that are to be considered dangerous and potentially capable of a deadly bite. We have one featured in the venomous section below (Rhabdophis subminiatus).

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Golden Tree Snake (Chrysopelea ornata)

A very common tree snake across Thailand, and their favorite food appears to be Tokay Geckos (Gekko gecko), so you may see one at your home. These snakes have a mild venom that doesn’t generally affect humans at all. These snakes do traverse across the ground but quickly find a tree when threatened. Masterful and very fast climbers! Common in homes, garages, and other structures.

Thailand Bronzeback (Dendrelaphis) Snake Strikes — Bronzeback snakes have a number of different patterns, but they are all long, thin, and generally brown and yellow until they flare the lateral sides and show other patterns and colors. Harmless for humans. Dendrelaphis genus.

Bronzeback Snakes (Dendrelaphis genus)

also incredibly adept and fast climbers, I first saw one as it came over my six-foot concrete wall in the back of the house in Surat Thani. Very thin snakes, not that afraid of humans. This snake bites quickly – as you might guess from the photo. To be honest, I’m holding the tail so I can get a good photo before it quickly disappears. Mildly venomous colubrids, and not dangerous to humans. There are many species of this snake, all look vaguely similar.

Oriental Whip Snake - Southern Thailand — Oriental Whip Snake; Green Whip Snake. Common mildly-venomous snake which cannot harm humans. Ultra thin and very long snakes to around 2 meters. Ahaetulla prasina.

Oriental Whip Snakes (Ahaetulla prasina and Ahaetulla mycterizans)

Very common snakes, and usually found in trees during the day (active) or night (sleeping), but I have found many whip snakes on the ground as they hunted lizards and frogs. The bright fluorescent green in this snake is awesome, isn’t it? These snakes have a mild venom, but again, no serious results of envenomation have occurred in humans. Other color variations: yellow, very light green with much more white (A. mycterizans), grey, brown. There is also a speckle-headed whip snake which isn’t found very often.

Common Venomous and Deadly Snakes

Malayan Pit Viper - Southern Thailand Venomous and Deadly Snake — Malayan Pit Viper. Very toxic venom destroys tissue of all kinds. Potentially fatal bites, but if you reach a hospital quickly – you will likely be fine. Calloselasma rhodostoma.

Malayan Pit Viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma)

A very dangerous pit viper with strong cytotoxic venom which is potentially deadly. This common brown pit viper is the cause of death for more people in Thailand than any other snake. It bites quickly and is lazy to get out of the way if you’re walking toward it, usually, it just lays still. Always found at ground level, and often on top of, or just under leaves. Maximum length – about 1 meter long.

Monocled Cobras (Naja kaouthia)

Monocled Cobra - adult. Potentially deadly bites, necrotoxic and neurotoxic venom makes this snake especially dangerous. One of Thailand's most dangerous snakes. — Monocled cobra – deadly and common across most of Thailand. These are black or brown colored snakes which flatten the neck into a hood. Their venom is very strong. Don’t try to catch or kill this cobra by yourself. Some cobras can spray venom 2-3 meters into your eyes.

Be especially careful of cobra snakes which can spit venom 2-3 meters away (farther with a strong wind!). They can temporarily blind you as they make their getaway, but the problem is your eyes will be burning until you can flush them with water for 10-20 minutes, and then visit the hospital to ensure they are properly cleaned. Photo above (click to enlarge) is of the Monocled Cobra (Naja kaouthia)

Red-necked Keelback (Rhabdophis subminiatus)

Red Neck Keelback Snake - Rhabdophis subminiatus in Southern Thailand — Red-necked keelbacks prefer low vegetation around water. Though they are not big biters, and flee at every opportunity, they have a potentially deadly bite. Rhabdophis subminiatus.

Brightly colored and very common snakes that become more brightly patterned when agitated. These brightly colored snakes are found in captivity across the globe. They were previously considered non-venomous and not dangerous until recently. Death has occurred as a direct result of envenomation from this species, though not in Thailand.

In Thailand, we have had a number of close calls. Renal failure after bites is one of the possible potentially deadly outcomes. This is one of the few snakes which is venomous and poisonous. There is a poison secreted in dorsal (top) side of the neck area near the head which can be dangerous to pets or people licking them. You know, in case you ever got the urge. In some cases, the Red-necked Keelback can spray the poison from the neck in a very fine mist.

Malayan Krait (Bungarus candidus)

Malayan Krait. Kraits are all venomous and potentially deadly. They are active by night for the most part, though I have seen Red-Headed Kraits (Bungarus flaviceps) active during daylight twice. The Banded Krait and the Malayan or “Blue” krait are both deadly snakes – the former with yellow and black bands about the same thickness, and the latter with black and white bands, the black bands are thicker near the neck, and more evenly spaced farther down on the tail.

Small-spotted Coral (Calliophis maculiceps)

Small-spotted coral snake from Southern Thailand, Krabi province. (Calliophis maculiceps) — Dangerous and potentially deadly, this small snake looks harmless enough. The Small-spotted Coral Snake (Calliophis maculiceps). ©Copyright 2010 Vern Lovic.

Small-spotted Coral. There is one coral snake worth mentioning, not because it’s all that common, but because it tends to be around the gardens – even in potted plants. This is the “Small-spotted Coral Snake.” It is very small – around 35 cm as an adult, and it looks harmless enough. It should be considered dangerous – and capable of potentially deadly bites.

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snake surveys

Most Common Thailand Snake? Survey Results…

Vern 3 Comments

I’ve had this survey up MUCH too long, but I rarely saw it there on the bottom left side of the page so it was pretty much out of mind.

Below is a graphic for the results after 126 people voted on which is the most common Thailand Snake:

The golden tree snake took first place – and I understand why. There are quite a few of them in Thailand, and if you’re a tourist – these are the snakes you are most likely to see. Golden tree snakes can be found in the bushes outside your house, climbing the outside wall of your hotel, on your balcony, or in the rafters of your bungalow. I have found them in all those places and many more. These snakes are definitely one of the top 5 snakes you are likely to see in Thailand.

Other snakes that I think are in the top five or ten?

Brahminy Blind Snakes – I see these often in my home, near my home, and picking up logs in the forest. They eat termite and ant eggs – and there are plenty of those around, so plenty of these snakes. They often come right up the drain in our restroom.

Copper-headed Racers – these rat snakes are quite common, and if you have garbage near your home, you may have seen one. These snakes lay in wait for rats.

Indo-Chinese Rat Snakes – these are dead ALL OVER the roads in southern Thailand, and also the northeast where I lived before. I guess it’s because they are impulsive snakes. When they are on the move – they just GO, without thinking much apparently. I am sure i’ve seen more of these dead on the roads than any other snake.

Red-necked Keelbacks – these snakes are also – all over the place. I’ve seen them on the side of mountains, and crossing roads numerous times. I’ve found them in water, by water, in bushes just 6 inches above water, and many places.

Monocled cobras – I’ve seen a LOT of these in southern Thailand. They are very common here, and they don’t mind living under your house. This is one of the most dangerous snakes in Thailand, as their venom is very strong, and some of them are very good at tagging you if you’re messing with them.

Ok, that’s about it. I’ll come up with another reader poll in a day or so – have to think about a good topic.

If you have a good topic – do let me know.

Thailand Snakes covers venomous and non-venomous snakes in Thailand and surrounding countries. Cobras, Kraits, Vipers, Corals, Rat Snakes, Tree Snakes, Whip Snakes, Pipe Snakes, Kukris, Pythons, and more.