An educational field guide
Know the snakes of India. Respect them, stay safe.
Identification, habitat, behaviour and carefully checked venom information for 39 Indian snake species — from the Spectacled Cobra to the tiny Brahminy Blind Snake — plus first-aid guidance that follows WHO and Indian medical advice.
Try cobra, pit viper, Python or browse the full directory.
Photo: Macrogiants, CC BY-SA 4.0
Browse by venom status
Three categories, clearly labelled
Venom status follows published medical and herpetological sources. Where evidence is thin, the species page says so.
Venomous snakes
Front-fanged snakes (cobras, kraits, vipers, pit vipers, coral snakes and sea snakes) whose bites can cause serious or life-threatening envenoming.
Mildly venomous
Rear-fanged snakes with venom that, as far as current medical literature shows, usually causes only local pain or swelling in people. Bites should still be checked by a doctor.
Non-venomous
Snakes with no venom of medical significance to people. Some can still bite defensively, and large pythons are powerful constrictors.
Medically most important
The “Big Four”
Four widespread species are responsible for a large share of serious snakebites in India. The polyvalent antivenom (anti-snake venom, ASV) used in Indian hospitals is produced against the venoms of these four.
They are not the only dangerous snakes. Some regional species — such as the Hump-nosed Pit Viper in the south-west, or the King Cobra — are not covered by this antivenom. That is one more reason every bite should be treated in hospital.
All venomous speciesFeatured species
From canopy gliders to leaf-litter ambushers
Commonly confused
Harmless look-alikes
Many harmless snakes are killed because they resemble venomous ones — and the reverse mistake can be dangerous. Never rely on appearance alone to handle a snake.
- Common Wolf Snake vs Common Krait Wolf snake bands are densest near the head; krait bands are clearer towards the tail, and kraits have enlarged hexagonal scales along the spine.
- Indian Rat Snake vs Spectacled Cobra The rat snake can inflate its throat and growl, but it never spreads a hood. It is a valuable rodent controller.
- Common Sand Boa vs Russell's Viper The boa has a small head and short tail; the viper has a large triangular head and three neat chains of oval spots.
- Green Vine Snake vs Bamboo Pit Viper The vine snake is pencil-thin with a pointed snout; the pit viper is stouter with a broad triangular head and heat-sensing pits.