The dry months in Thailand are not usually productive times for herping, or snake expeditions of any sort. It’s just too hot and rain too scarce.
What snakes might you find in Thailand between the months of December through March? Not many, but there are still some snakes out there if you know where to look for them.
So far in December through February I’ve mostly seen rat snakes. Keeled rat snakes, Copperheaded racers (rat snakes), Red-tailed racers, and Indo-Chinese Rat Snakes. During the day these are some of the most common snakes that can be found in thailand. I have seen very little roadkill snakes – which means that there just aren’t the numbers roaming around, as there are during the wet months when frogs are abundant.
During the day I’ve also seen the Golden Tree Snake, and some Monocled Cobras. By the way, if you come across a cobra during this very hot time – do not mess with it. They tend to be so much more angry and fast when the weather is hot. They get aggravated quickly.
During the night I have found a couple of Puff-faced Water Snakes (Homalopsis buccata) as well as a nice 3-4 meter long python, some Mangrove Cat Snakes, and a Red-tailed Pipe Snake. Night time seems to be the right time, as it is cooler and many snakes go in search of water to rehydrate during this, the hottest time of the year (Feb-May).
I have not been able to find any of the Mangrove Pit Vipers lately in the usual spots. I wonder if they go somewhere else during the hot period, or if they maybe hide away higher up in the trees or in hollow logs to sort of hibernate a bit.
How about you, seen any snakes lately?