Snakes in India
Snakes have had a special place in Indian culture since time immemorial, with the country having a reputation as the land of snake charmers. Snakes have even had a sacred place in the Hindu religion, worshipped as deities to attain fame, wealth, and knowledge.
So, it is evident that the country has several snake species, over 350. Of the several venomous species, four of them, also called the Big Four, emerge as the most deadly ones, responsible for delivering medically significant bites each year. The common krait, Indian Cobra, Indian saw-scaled viper, and Russell’s viper belong to the list of dangerous snakes. According to WHO reports, around 5 million individuals are affected by snake bites each year, of which between 81,000 and 1,38,000 are fatal.
| Groups | Venomous | Non-venomous |
|---|---|---|
| Pit Vipers | Bamboo Pit Viper Malabar Pit Viper | – |
| Kraits | Common Krait Banded Krait Greater Black Krait | – |
| Coral Snakes | Slender Coral Snake | – |
| Whip Snakes | Long-nosed Whip Snake | – |
| Vipers | Russell’s Viper Indian Saw-scaled Viper Hump-nosed Viper | – |
| Cobras | Indian Cobra Spectacled Cobra Monocled Cobra | – |
| Oligodon | ||
| Elapidae | Common Sea Snake | – |
Chrysopelea | Ornate Flying Snake (Golden Tree Snake) | – |
Boiga | Indian Gamma Snake Beddome’s Cat Snake | – |
Eryx | – | Common Sand Boa Rough-scaled Boa Red Sand Boa |
| Lycodon | – | Indian Wolf Snake |
| Python | – | Indian Python Reticulated Python |
| Ptyas | – | Oriental Rat Snake |
| Coelognathus | – | Common Trinket Snake |
| Oligodon | – | Banded Kukri Snake Streaked Kukri |
| Fowlea | – | Checkered Keelback |
Amphiesma | – | Buff Striped Keelback |
| Rhabdophis | – | Green Keelback |
Rhabdops | – | Olive Trapezoid Snake |
Atretium | – | Split Keelback |
| Dendrelaphis | – | Common Bronzeback Tree Snake |
Platyceps | – | Banded Racer Nagarjun Sagar Racer Graceful Racer |
| Wallophis | – | Indian Smooth Snake |
| Liopeltis | – | Calamaria Reed Snake |
| Sibynophis | – | Duméril’s Black-headed Snake |
| Cerberus | – | New Guinea Bockadam |
| Acrochordus | – | Marine File Snake |
| Indotyphlops | – | Brahminy Blind Snake |
Enhydrina | Hook-nosed Sea Snake | – |
Ophiophagus | King Cobra | – |
| Hydrophis | Annulated Sea Snake Malacca Sea Snake | – |
Snakes by Colors and Patterns
Green Snakes: Bamboo Pit Viper, Green Keelback,Long-nosed Whipsnake
Brown Snakes: Indian Smooth Snake, Indian Cobra
Black Snakes: Common Krait, Greater Black Krait
Snake in India (By Regions)
- Goa
- Kerala
Quick Information
Most Venomous/ Dangerous Snakes: Indian Saw-scaled Viper,Russell’s Viper, Indian Cobra
Biggest & Longest Snake: Reticulated Python
Smallest Snake: Brahminy Blindsnake
Fastest Snake: Oriental Ratsnake
FAQs
The Indian Cobra endemic to the southern and Southeast Asian jungles is India’s national reptile.
No, keeping snakes as pets in India is considered illegal.
A two-headed Russell viper having a rare occurrence indeed was sighted in 2020 in Maharashtra, measuring 11 cm with its twin heads having a length of 2 cm each.
No, but on one occasion, an albino-colored krait snake was spotted in the Ambikapur city of Chhattisgarh.
