Snake Identifier

Snake Encyclopedia

Search and identify 1,000+ snakes from around the world — with family, range, size, habitat, and how to tell similar species apart.

Dusky Sea Snake

Dusky Sea Snake

A small, dark-colored sea snake with a restricted range in Western Australian reef waters, of conservation concern due to sharp historical population declines.

Hognose Snake

Hognose Snake

A theatrical, upturned-snouted colubrid famous for its dramatic bluffing displays, including hood-flattening, hissing, and playing dead.

Red Milk Snake

Red Milk Snake

A tricolor milk snake subspecies from the central US, known for its vivid red, black, and white/yellow banding that mimics coral snakes.

Crowned Snake

Crowned Snake

The largest of the crowned snakes, a secretive nocturnal elapid of eastern Australian forests, named for its pale head marking.

Red Pipe Snake

Red Pipe Snake

A glossy, burrowing pipe snake of Southeast Asia that flattens and raises its bright red-and-black banded tail to mimic a coral snake when threatened.

Dwarf Sea Snake

A tiny, slender sea snake with an unusually small head, found in muddy coastal waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

Red Whip Snake

Red Whip Snake

A slender, reddish-toned whip snake found in arid regions of the Middle East, recognized by its fast movement and warm coloration.

Sea Snake

Sea Snake

A fully marine elapid adapted for life at sea, with a paddle-like tail and no need to return to land.

Coral Snake

Coral Snake

A brightly ringed elapid with red, yellow, and black bands, known for the order in which its bands touch.

Mandarin Rat Snake

Mandarin Rat Snake

A strikingly patterned, secretive burrowing snake from East Asia known for its bold gray, black, and orange saddle markings.

Black-Headed Snake

Black-Headed Snake

A tiny, secretive desert colubrid distinguished by a solid black or dark cap over the head, contrasting with its plain lighter body.

Ceylon Cat Snake

Ceylon Cat Snake

A small, reddish-brown cat snake endemic to Sri Lanka and adjacent southern India, active at night in forested and rural habitats.

Tiger Rat Snake

Tiger Rat Snake

A large, boldly patterned tropical colubrid, striking in appearance and known for its speed and alertness.

Salt Marsh Snake

Salt Marsh Snake

A slender water snake specialized for life in coastal salt marshes and mangrove habitats.

Bombay Sea Snake

A regionally documented sea snake of the western Indian coast, associated with the shallow waters of the Arabian Sea near Mumbai.

Karoo Sand Snake

Karoo Sand Snake

A slim, fast-moving sand snake adapted to the arid Karoo region of southern Africa, recognized by its streamlined build and alert daytime activity.

Red-Naped Snake

Red-Naped Snake

A small elapid with a distinctive reddish patch on the back of the neck, found across eastern Australia.

Cape File Snake

Cape File Snake

A distinctive African colubrid with unusually rough, file-like body scales and a specialized diet that includes other snakes.

Green Rat Snake

Green Rat Snake

A bright green, arboreal colubrid of Southeast Asian rainforests, closely related to the red-tailed racer and well camouflaged in the forest canopy.

Java File Snake

Java File Snake

A fully aquatic file snake covered in rough, granular scales, found in the rivers and estuaries of Java and the surrounding Southeast Asian region.

Master's Snake

A small, secretive elapid of semi-arid southern Australia, closely related to the White-Lipped Snake but occupying drier habitats.

Butler's Snake

A small, secretive burrowing elapid endemic to the semi-arid country of Western Australia.

Striped Sea Snake

A banded sea snake found in muddy coastal and estuarine waters across the Indo-Pacific, notable for its bold dark crossbands.

King's Sea Snake

A large-headed, robust sea snake found in the coastal waters of northern Australia, notable for its thick body and small tail.