Tag: snakes in Thailand

image_pdf** Grab a PDF of this Pageimage_printPrint this Page

Caught an Oriental Whip Snake Today

Screeched the car to a stop and jammed it into park as I saw this 1.6m Ahaetulla prasina crossing the road in front of me. He made it into the bush, but I grabbed onto his tail firmly and he was mine.

He was really beautiful and I bagged him and kept him for a while before realizing I had dropped my video camera / camera into the natural spring while herping yesterday. I let him go in a lush green area not too far away.

He did try to bite numerous times as I put him in the bag, but I was able to dodge his fangs. They have a slow and weak strike.

Wish I could share the photos or videos – but, there aren’t any. Wifey can vouch for me though – she was not happy at all at having to go into the trunk of the car and bring me the tongs and snake bag! Grandma and baby watched from the car.

Here’s my page about the oriental whip snakes with photos, videos and in-depth fact page:

Ahaetulla prasina – oriental whip snake – more information.

Then on the way back from Phang Nga this afternoon I saw the most beautiful 2 meter long Copperheaded Racer crossing the highway. I was doing 120 KPH and there was just no way to stop and grab him. I saw the truck behind me missed him too – so he made it. Must have JUST shed and was a brilliant copper color in the sun. Never saw one that color. Stunningly beautiful.

Thailand snake season is upon us man – and we’re seeing and catching the coolest snakes on the planet. Come and have a look with us!

Thailand Herping

Thailand Snake Photo – Malayan Racer – Big Rat Snakes

Malayan Racer - Coloegnathus flavolineatus, in southern Thailand
Big, Harmless Snakes – Malayan Racer – Photo by Camille Lemmens, Koh Samui, IDC Thailand Dive Shop.

This Malayan Racer (Coloegnathus flavolineatus) photo was sent in by Camille Lemmens from the IDCThailand.net dive shop in Koh Samui, in Suratthani Province.

Correction – I haven’t looked at this for ages… it looks more like a melanistic Coelognathus radiata than it does the C flavolineatus. I’ll have to find a good photo of that one and put it up here!

Malayan racers are similar to the Copperheaded Racer snakes in Thailand, but they are darker and they don’t have the nasty attitude. They don’t often strike, and they can be hand-held usually without any problems. If one knows how to handhold a snake.

Best way to hand hold a snake? Put your hand or arm under it’s mid body and lift up. It thinks you are a tree.

The wrong way to hand-hold a snake is to grab it’s tail or mid body clenched between your fingers – it will take that as aggression and may strike.

Please don’t generalize this to all snakes… some snakes should never be held – vipers, Naja kaouthia and others… but, some can be safely held.

Malayan racers exhibit a flaring of their neck and first 1/3rd of their body – even half their bodies, in a vertical flare. If we think of a cobra flare as horizontal, you can then picture the flaring of the Malayan Racer. Other snakes known to flare like this?

Copperheaded racers, Red-Tailed Racers, Oriental Whip Snake… are all that I can remember at the moment. I am sure there are more.

If you see a Malayan racer in the wild – just leave it alone. They can get big – 2+ meters – and give a wicked bite if they want to. They eat large numbers of rats – so, they’re a good snake to have around.

image_pdf** Grab a PDF of this Pageimage_printPrint this Page