About the project
A careful guide to India's snakes
Snake Guide India helps people recognise snakes, understand them, and respond safely to snakebite — without myths or exaggeration.
Why this guide exists
India has a rich diversity of snakes, and snakebite remains a serious public-health problem, especially in rural areas. At the same time, fear and misinformation lead to many harmless snakes being killed. Clear, accurate information can help on both fronts.
How the information was compiled
Species profiles summarise widely published herpetological and medical sources, including standard field guides, WHO snakebite guidance, and taxonomic references such as The Reptile Database. Sizes are approximate typical adult lengths, not records. Distribution descriptions are broad and simplified.
Where evidence is limited or the science is changing — for example, recent taxonomic splits of the King Cobra and the Green Vine Snake complex — the species page says so in a clearly marked “Uncertain / noteworthy” section. The site does not include ratings, reviews or invented statistics; the only numbers shown are counts of the species in this guide.
About venom categories
- Venomous — front-fanged snakes capable of medically serious envenoming.
- Mildly venomous — rear-fanged snakes whose bites, as far as the medical literature shows, usually cause only local effects in people.
- Non-venomous — no venom of medical significance to people.
Categories are a general guide only. Individual reactions vary, and any snakebite should be assessed by a doctor.
Educational disclaimer
This website is for general education only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It cannot be used to identify a snake for medical decisions. A suspected snakebite requires immediate emergency medical care — call 108 or 112 and go to the nearest hospital.
Never handle, catch or attempt to kill a snake based on information from this or any website.
Spotted an error?
Science changes, and corrections are welcome. Species data lives in a single structured file, so updates are quick to make. See the project's README for how to propose a change.
Image credits
All photographs are hosted on Wikimedia Commons and used under the open licences listed below. Select a licence to read its terms, or a file name to see the original upload.
| Species | Photographer / author | Licence | Source |
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