Snake Encyclopedia
Search and identify 1,000+ snakes from around the world — with venomous status, family, range, size, habitat, and how to tell look-alikes apart.
Spotted Skaapsteker
A slender, patterned southern African snake whose name derives from a folk belief linking it to livestock, though it is not dangerous to sheep or people.
Schott's Whipsnake
A slender, fast-moving whipsnake of South Texas brushlands, patterned with pale crossbands on a darker ground color.
Wagner's Viper
A stocky, brightly patterned mountain viper from the highlands of eastern Anatolia, considered one of the most venomous vipers in its range.
Arunachal Pit Viper
A green pit viper endemic to Arunachal Pradesh, part of a wave of newly described pit viper species from the eastern Himalayan foothills.
Yellow-bellied Liophis
A widespread South American colubrid with a bright yellow belly, often found near wetlands and grasslands.
Olive Keelback
A drab, olive-toned freshwater colubrid common in ponds, ditches, and paddies across South Asia.
Striped Keelback
A common, slender colubrid with pale stripes along the back, frequently found near water and farmland across South Asia.
Salmon-bellied Racer
A slender, fast-moving racer named for its pale salmon or pinkish belly, common in Central American lowlands.
Water Moccasin
A heavy-bodied semi-aquatic pit viper of the southeastern US, named for the white lining of its mouth displayed as a threat.
Inland Taipan
A highly venomous but reclusive Australian elapid of remote arid regions, often cited for its extremely potent venom.
Painted Bronzeback
A brightly patterned, agile tree snake of Southeast Asia, named for the bold black-and-cream striping revealed between its scales when alarmed.
Western Green Mamba
A vivid green, arboreal mamba of West African forests, closely related to the eastern green mamba but geographically separated by the continent's dry central belt.
Red Sand Boa
A thick-bodied, burrowing boa with a blunt tail often mistaken for a second head, prized illegally in wildlife trafficking.
Mole Kingsnake
A secretive, burrowing kingsnake subspecies with a faded, blotched pattern that grows more obscure with age.
Radde's Mountain Viper
A heavy-bodied highland viper of the Caucasus and eastern Anatolia, named after the naturalist Gustav Radde, and closely tied to the same species complex as the Armenian viper.
False Water Cobra
A large, aquatic South American colubrid capable of flattening its neck into a cobra-like hood when threatened.
Western Groundsnake
A small, highly variable desert snake that may be striped, banded, or plain depending on the population.
Highland Copperhead
A cold-adapted Australian elapid found at higher elevations in the southeast, closely related to the lowland copperhead but occupying alpine and subalpine habitats.
Salazar's Pit Viper
A recently described green pit viper from northeastern India, popularly noted for being named after a fictional Harry Potter character.
Desert Cobra
A glossy black, primarily nocturnal elapid found in the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East, considered venomous and potentially dangerous to humans.
Florida Brownsnake
A small, common brown snake of Florida gardens and woodlands, closely related to the widespread De Kay's Brownsnake.
Egyptian Sand Boa
A stout, burrowing boa of arid African and Middle Eastern regions, easily recognized by its blunt tail, small eyes set high on the head, and habit of ambushing prey from beneath the sand.
Mole Viper
A small, cylindrical, burrowing snake with unusual side-swiping fangs, found across much of sub-Saharan Africa.
Cuban Dwarf Boa
A small, thick-bodied Cuban endemic known for feigning death and even releasing blood from its eyes as a dramatic defense.