Venomous Snakes of Hong Kong (List of 21)

The 21 Venomous and Dangerous Snakes of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, as small as it is, has a number of venomous snakes you should be aware of if walking through the forest, or even at night in a suburban neighborhood. If you are not a snake expert, please do not attempt to move, touch, catch, or kill one of the following snakes – it’s just too dangerous, and not worth the risk.

  1. Acalyptophis peronii – Spiny-headed Sea Snake, Horned Sea Snake
  2. Bungarus fasciatus – Banded Krait, Golden Banded Snake
  3. Bungarus multicinctus – Chinese Krait, Many Banded Krait, Silver Banded Krait, Taiwan Krait
  4. Hydrophis cyanocinctus – Asian Annulated Sea Snake, Banded Sea Snake, Annulated Sea Snake, Blue-banded Sea Snake, Dusky-chinned Giant Sea Snake
  5. Laticauda semifasciata – Broad-banded Blue Sea Snake, Erabu Sea Snake, Sea Krait, Erabu Sea Krait
  6. Ophiophagus hannah – King Cobra, Hamadryad, Jungle Cobra
  7. Ovophis monticola – Mountain Pit Viper, Blotched Pit Viper, Mountain Iron-head Snake, Chinese Mountain Pit Viper
  8. Ovophis monticola monticola – Western Mountain Pit Viper
  9. Ovophis monticola convictus – Indo-Malayan Mountain Pit Viper
  10. Ovophis monticola makazayazaya – Taiwan Mountain Pit Viper
  11. Ovophis monticola orientalis – Oriental Mountain Pit Viper
  12. Ovophis monticola zhaokentangi – Gaoligong Mountain Pit Viper
  13. Pelamis platurus – Yellow Bellied Sea Snake, Pelagic Sea Snake, Black and Yellow Sea Snake, Yellow and Black Sea Snake, Black-backed Sea Snake
  14. Rhabdophis chrysargos* – Speckle-bellied Keelback
  15. Rhabdophis subminiatus helleri* – Red-necked Keelback, Heller’s Keelback
  16. Sinomicrurus macclellandi – Macclelland’s Coral Snake,
  17. Sinomicrurus macclellandi iwasakii – Iwasaki’s Coral Snake
  18. Sinomicrurus macclellandi swinoei – Taiwan Coral Snake
  19. Sinomicrurus macclellandi swinhoei – Red-ringed Snake
  20. Sinomicrurus macclellandi univirgatus – Single-banded Coral Snake
  21. Trimeresurus albolabris – White-lipped Green Pit Viper, White-lipped Pit Viper, White-lipped Tree Viper

Not sure if the Rhabdophis genus in Hong Kong is considered venomous and dangerous, or not. I’ve included it on the list as precautionary. At any rate, do not let one of these snakes bite down on you repeatedly or for any length of time (over 5-seconds). In some countries, R. subminiatus is considered deadly.

Snake Info for Southeast Asia / Far East + USA

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