Venomous Snakes of Udon Thani

[Roy]

Ok thanks to Micheal C's comprehensive and very informative listing of venomous snakes that reside in Udon I am pretty sure this one is not venomous but for the life of me can't find out what it was. I searched after the event, at least two years ago, on various websites to identify it but no luck.
The description is vague but its the best I got. It was wrapped around a piece of bamboo used for hanging wet clothes on, seemed to be basking in the early morning sunlight. At least 2m long possibly more and looked a silver colour. I had just walked out the back door and nearly ended up nose to nose with it! It moved a hell of a lot quicker than me, fortunately in the opposite direction.
Just wondered if our resident snake expert could shine any light on what it possibly was.

[Michael C]

If it was 2m, silver in colour and hanging off the ground on bamboo set up to hang clothes, I can assure you that it is non-venomous. Sorry, but there was not enough of a description to give an identification of exactly what species it is.

[polehawk]

The rainy season has just hit us, which will be accompanied by an increase of snake activity. This is also the time that most snakes hatch/are born. Keep in mind, baby venomous snakes are just as dangerous as the adults and come out of the egg/the mother with fully loaded venom glands.

I just caught a young non-venomous snake this morning just outside the house.

Our dog woke me up last night with her constant barking. Figured she must have a scorpion or snake cornered and, sure enough, it was a small snake about 40 cm long with sharp yellow and black stripes. Chased the dog away but not before she bit the snake on its back. Snake lay still for a while and thought it was dead but guess it was playing possum because it came around after I placed it inside a jar. Checked and watched the dog for a bit but didn't appear that she got bit so guessing snake must be non-poisonous. Looked through Michael C's pictures and some others on the internet. Closest that I could ID was:

Bungarus fasciatus (Banded Krait), Thai: (ngu sam laem, ngu kan plong)
or
Lycodon laoensis (Laotian Wolf Snake), Thai: (ngu plong chanuan lao, ngu kan plong).

The Laotian Wolf Snake seems to fit the bill and is non-poisonous. What do you think, Michael C?

Here's a couple of pics of it:



Released the snake in the woods across from us and will lock up the pooches at night until rainy season is over.

[Jungle Dave]

One of the best threads I have read here -ever. I have lived out in the Jungle for more than seven years now - the western outskirts of Suwankuha in Non Bua Lom Phu Province - and have had to kill several snakes. The most being the Red Necked Keelback.

At the time I did not know its name or its venomous status. Today I do and for that I say many THANKs Michael!! The Cobras that I offed were easily identifyable. I have searched the web specifically looking for the identification of the Red Necked Keelback but was not able to match the dead carcus up to any pictures until I saw yours.

I too was operating under the "local" knowledge of my Thai wife - like others have posted - everything is deadly in her eyes. Now I know. I have saved the pictures to my PC and will print. We have at least one villager die each year from a snake bite. The last one said it was too small to hurt him - two days later he is dead!!

Dave

[fussychunk]

Ere whats this one, the daft bats mum caught this blighter...within 30 mins on the bbq

[Thaitanium]

Is there a thread on venomous insects, spiders, centipedes, and scorpions, or links on the subjects?
Thanks

[Geordie]

Polehawk, looking at my book of snakes what you have there is a Laotian Wolf Snake, a non poisonous species & common throughout Thailand.
The body shape is wrong for a Banded Krait which is triangular.

[BobHelm]

Is there a thread on venomous insects, spiders, centipedes, and scorpions, or links on the subjects?
Thanks

Not at the moment. You might be lucky and persuade Michael C to start (& populate) one, as he seems to be professionally in that sort of field...

[polehawk]

Geordie, thanks for that. Agrees with link that I was looking at then:

http://www.siam-info.de/english/snakes_ ... onous.html

Link also shows spiders, centipedes and scorpions for those interested. Michael C will have to identify Fuzzychunk's snake although photo not very clear. Another ratsnake?

[Benzman]

a ratsnake ?

[Michael C]

Sorry for taking so long to respond. I spent the last 10 days in the field helping a university with research, doing research myself in the Bangkok area and getting my visa extension paperwork in order.

Polehawk, you are right, it was Lycodon laoensis- completely harmless (besides the tiny pin pricks the teeth could make in a bite ) Geordie was right, the banded krait (Bungurus fasciatus) is more of a triangular shape. Thais actually call it a 'triangle snake' (งูสามเหลี่ยม).

Jungle Dave, the Red-Necked Keelbacks (Rhabdophis subminiatus) do have a dangerous bite, but is one to bite out of defense, not out of aggression; it will always go away when given the chance.

Fussychunk, that appears to be Ptyas korros (Indochinese Rat Snake). They are rear fanged, but should be considered harmless. Their venom is only capable of producing minor swelling. Many Thais love to eat them. Care should be taken, since the pattern on them is similar to some individual Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) variants; some have similar banding, like the one in the picture, or outlining of the scales.

Benzman, your snake is a Xenochrophis flavipunctatus. This is actually what your earlier snake was, which is almost identical to Xenochrophis piscator. I had missed a small pattern characteristic in the picture on your post of 7 April, which was much more clear in this picture. The two species are very difficult to tell apart and I have seen some of the better references misidentify the two in pictures (not sure whether it was the author's mistake or the publisher's). Both are rear fanged and should be considered harmless.

On the subject of spiders, scorpions and centipedes, none of the spiders appear here in Thailand to be really dangerous, I have been told by one of the biologists that I work with that the smaller brown scorpion can cause some ill effects and of course, the centipede can cause some ill effects. My wife (while in bed) and I (one hiding in my trouser leg) have been stung over the past month by the smaller brown scorpion and besides quite a bit of pain, we did not suffer any ill effects.

[polehawk]

Michael C, thanks for identifying the snakes. Thai relative said our snake was poisonous but we would have had a dead dog if that was the case. Dog goes after everything and seems to think snakes, scorpions and lizards were put on the property for her enjoyment. She will probably live a little longer now that we've started locking her in her cage at night.

No real danger from scorpions, spiders and centipedes unless you're allergic to their bites then? That's good to know but will still be watching where I step out here, especially at night.

[Benzman]

thanks Michael G

this one i see to day not so big

[Michael C]

Polehawk, most Thais think that almost every snake is venomous, except some of the ones that they find good to eat, some of which are actually mildly venomous. When I was living in central Thailand, I received a call to remove a venomous snake from someone's yard. After seeing what it was, I just grabbed it with my bare hand, recognising it as a harmless species that never bites; the person that called me nearly feinted seeing me grab it like that.

Benzman, your latest snake is an Oligodon fasciolatus, a non-venomous Banded Kukri Snake. Although it is non-venomous and rather shy, if grabbed it can give you a nasty bite due to two enlarged rear teeth, similar to fangs, but not fangs, that move independently (not fixed to the jaw) and slice, most all snake teeth puncture. Just like a deep little razor wound, their bites take a long time to heal.

[JimboPSM]

........ most all snake teeth puncture. Just like a deep little razor wound, their bites take a long time to heal.

Would the extended length of healing time be due to factors such as bacteria in their mouths giving rise to some kind of infection?

If so, are there any general antibiotics or other appropriate treatments that you would recommend that might speed up the healing process or are there other variable factors to consider where using "off the shelf" medications might actually hinder the healing process?

[Michael C]

The extended length in healing time is due to it being a deep slicing wound, like a knife cut, which is why they are called 'Kukri Snakes', Kukri, sometimes spelled 'khukri' or 'khukuri', is a type of knife.

Snake mouths are generally clean and I would just suggest keeping the bite area of any non-venomous snake clean by washing the area. Antibiotics are not needed and are often overused here.

[Benzman]

i see the Banded Kukri Snake in the pond.





swiming arund

[mak]

This morning the maid found a 1m snake in our living room. It looked like a tree snake. She chased it with a ceiling broom. I have never seen a snake move so fast. It tried to get into my TV room and then made a beeline out the front door. Green with yellow bands.

[Michael C]

Benzman, that is a young Xenochrophis flavipunctatus, same species as the one on the previous page. In the juveniles, the lateral sides of the neck are much lighter in colouration, but you can match up the pattern of the earlier photo and the one above at the nape of the neck for comparison.

Mak, sounds like you had a Chrysopelea ornata (Golden Tree Snake). It is a rear fanged snake that should be considered harmless.

[Benzman]

thx Michael C
this ratsnacke tock a litel to big lunch to day

big pic